Rafał Trzaskowski began his visit with an appearance on CNN’s Inside Politics programme on Monday.
Interview with CNN
“I outlined the problems we are facing in Warsaw and Poland due to the refugee crisis and the consequent dire need for strong global support, including from the US,” he said in a tweet.
During the programme, Trzaskowski told CNN’s Dana Bash:
“Unfortunately, we see the escalation of war in Ukraine. And we see more and more people coming, again crossing the Ukrainian-Polish border. And of course Warsaw is at capacity. So we need to prepare for more.”
He added: “And that's why I'm here in Washington because I want to talk to lawmakers, to Joe Biden's administration, to explain the situation in Poland and also convince our friends here in America that money should go directly to refugees, nongovernmental organisations, and also to local governments.”
The CNN anchor told viewers that “the Polish capital of Warsaw has welcomed more than 300,000 Ukrainian refugees since Russia's unprovoked attack.”
Talks with think tanks, lecture at Georgetown
Later on Monday, Trzaskowski met with the pro-democracy group the National Democratic Institute, headed by the former US ambassador to Myanmar, Derek Mitchell.
The discussion focused on “the necessary support for Poland and Warsaw in view of the refugee crisis and on the state of democracy in Poland,” among other topics, Trzaskowski wrote.
Trzaskowski then held talks with the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a public-policy think tank, before delivering a lecture at Washington’s Georgetown University.
Tuesday: meetings with top US officials, lawmakers
On Tuesday, the Warsaw mayor is scheduled to meet with the head of the US Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and a group of lawmakers, according to his social media updates.
Media offensive
During his stay in the US, Trzaskowski plans to make a string of media appearances, including for the broadcasters MSNBC and NBC, he told reporters before leaving Warsaw.
Talks with Bloomberg, World Jewish Congress
In addition, Trzaskowski is set to discuss support for Ukraine refugees with the former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg.
Also on his agenda will be next year’s 80th anniversary of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the subject of talks with the president of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald S. Lauder, the tvn24.pl website reported.
Tuesday is day 62 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Poland on Monday reported it had welcomed more than 2.94 million refugees fleeing Russia's war on Ukraine.
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Source: tvn24.pl, transcripts.cnn.com