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Polish president holds talks with Biden, Scholz at NATO summit

29.06.2022 09:15
Poland’s president has held talks with the US president and German chancellor on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Madrid, officials have said.
Polish President Andrzej Duda (left) arrives for a summit of NATO leaders in Madrid on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.
Polish President Andrzej Duda (left) arrives for a summit of NATO leaders in Madrid on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.PAP/EPA/Sergio Perez

Andrzej Duda spoke with Joe Biden and Olaf Scholz about the security of countries that provide the most support to war-torn Ukraine, reporters were told.

The Polish president’s foreign policy advisor, Jakub Kumoch, said the talks had been “very constructive,” Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Kumoch added that “everyone is impressed by the success of the negotiations between Turkey, Finland and Sweden.”

On Tuesday evening, Turkey agreed to support Finland’s and Sweden’s bids to join NATO.  

The Polish president’s aide said that on Tuesday night that Duda also met with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. 

Ukraine, new strategic concept, troop increases

On Wednesday, NATO leaders are due to discuss further military support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the summit via video link from Kyiv.

Later in the day, there will be meetings with NATO’s future members Finland and Sweden and with the alliance’s closest partners, including Georgia, Japan and South Korea. 

Also on Wednesday, NATO leaders are set to adopt a new strategic concept that will define Russia as “the biggest and direct” threat to the alliance. 

They are also expected to approve an increase in troop numbers on NATO’s eastern flank, including in Poland, and raise the number of soldiers on high readiness eight-fold, to 300,000, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the Polish president is on Wednesday also due to hold bilateral meetings with his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, officials said.

Madrid summit

The Madrid summit, which runs until Thursday, features heads of state and government from NATO’s 30 member countries, as well as representatives from Australia, Finland, Georgia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Sweden, the European Council and the European Commission, according to officials.

Wednesday is day 126 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

(pm/gs)

Source: IAR, PAP