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PRESIDENT BIDEN: Gentlemen, welcome. It's great to have you back in Washington, and it's good to see you all again. And Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, it's an honor to welcome you to this historic anniversary. It's quite interesting. Twenty-five years ago, on this very day, Poland joined NATO. And some of you may recall that I was very much involved in that event.
And I - during this ceremony, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright made the following statement - said, "When we stand together, no force on Earth is more powerful." And I realized that was true. "When we stand together, no force on Earth is more powerful."
I believed it then and I believe it now. And we see it in the Polish-American troops serving side by side in NATO and on the eastern flank, including Poland. And we see it in our determination to strengthen NATO's collective defense.
And I want to pause here and note that Poland spends almost 4 percent of its gross domestic product on defense - largely on the purchase of American weapons systems and - and aircraft - and has doubled its commitment to NATO: 4 percent.
We also see it in our support for Ukraine in the face of [Putin's] vicious attack on Ukraine in a way that is just borderline - - - I won't even describe it.
I want to thank you both for Poland's unwavering security and humanitarian assistance, including the reception of some 1 million Ukrainian refugees. As my mother would say, 'God loves you. You are doing God's work." Indeed you do. It's incredible what you're doing - what the Polish people are doing.
The United States today announces the provision of an emergency package for Ukraine using cost savings from previously approved Pentagon contracts. The package includes munitions and ammunition to help Ukraine hold the line against Russia's brutal attacks for the not- - next few weeks, which I have the authority to do without asking Congress for more money right now. But I have asked them for a lot more money.
And so we are - but it's not nearly enough what we are - I'm announcing today.
Congress must now pass a bipartisan national security bill that includes emergency funding for Ukraine. We must act before it is literally too late - before it is too late. Because as Poland remembers, Russia will not stop at Ukraine. Putin will continue, which in my view will endanger Europe, the United States, and the entire free world.
So thank you both again for being here at this critical time. And with that, Mr. President, I turn it over to you. The floor is yours.
PRESIDENT DUDA: Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, exactly 25 years ago, on 12 March 1999, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary joined the strongest Alliance in the world. It was the fulfilment of a dream of many generations of Poles.
There is no better place to celebrate this extraordinary anniversary than the White House. It is here, in the capital of the United States, that Democrats and Republicans alike have made bold decisions.
NATO has expanded eastward. Poland has joined the free world, the West, where it has always belonged. And for these courageous decisions and for their unwavering support, I would like to thank all the Americans who have been involved.
I express this thanks to you, Mr President, in view of the fact that you were one of the leaders of the support for Poland's accession to NATO in the US Senate at that time. Thank you on behalf of millions of Poles.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Thank you, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT DUDA: Over these 25 years, we have shown that we are a reliable and proven ally, even as our troops have fought alongside American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Poland knows, like several other countries in the world, that security comes at a price. That is why we have spent more than 4 % of our GDP on maintaining and modernising our armed forces, the highest percentage in the Alliance.
Russia's aggression against Ukraine has made it clear that the United States is and should remain a leader in security. But other allies must take greater responsibility for the security of the Alliance as a whole. That is why I believe it is essential that all NATO countries increase their defence spending from 2 to 3 per cent of GDP. Two per cent was good ten years ago. Now 3 per cent is needed in response to the full-scale war that Russia has launched just over NATO's eastern border.
We Poles believe in America. We believe that Poland and Europe need more America - militarily, politically and economically - more American spirit in thinking and acting.
I have had the opportunity to discuss this point with the President on many occasions, including when we received you twice in Poland. A year ago, when we met in Warsaw, I announced that - when Poland holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2025 - our top priority will be to deepen cooperation between the United States and the EU.
We are consistently working in this direction in Poland. That is why we buy the most advanced American weapons in the world: We currently have more than 100 American Abrams tanks, F-35 fighter jets, Apache helicopters and HIMARS missile launchers.
Close cooperation with the US also covers other important areas, such as energy. Work on the construction of Poland's first nuclear power plant, which we are building with US companies, is already well advanced.
Tomorrow I will have the opportunity to visit such a modern nuclear power plant in Georgia. We attach great importance to further American investment in Poland. I hope that our joint visit with the Prime Minister will contribute to deepening bilateral economic relations. We invite new American companies to come to Poland.
Today's visit sent an important message - it confirms the strategic nature of the Polish-American relationship, which we want to develop further.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Thank you very much.
Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER TUSK: Mr President, I would like to thank you not only for inviting me to the anniversary of Poland's membership in NATO, but above all for never forgetting why NATO was founded. Some people have forgotten.
So let me recall the opening words of the Washington Treaty. I quote: "The Parties to the present Treaty are determined to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilisation of their peoples, based on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law".
Thank you, Mr President, for your continued fight for these principles. And we also remember, as the President said, your commitment, your efforts 25 years ago. You were a senator then in this - in the NATO enlargement process. Thank you.
And, you know, I want you to know that your campaign four years ago was really inspiring for me and for many Poles. And we were encouraged - and you know what for - after your fight, after - after your victory. Thank you for your determination. It was something really important for - not only for the United States.
Today, on behalf of the Polish people, I would like to give you just one message: Our country is now a stable democracy, predictable for our allies, on which the security of the entire region depends enormously.
When we Poles started our journey to the West, Pope John Paul II said: "Without an independent Poland there can be no just Europe". And I would say today that without a strong Poland there cannot be a secure Europe.
And of course I would also say that - that there cannot be a just Europe without a free and independent Ukraine.
President Duda and I are here today also to reaffirm that Poland is and will be a firm and lasting pillar of the transatlantic community, regardless of who wins the elections here. We take our commitment seriously - more than anyone else in Europe.
And we hope that none of our NATO partners will undermine the most important commitment of all, which is Article 5 of the treaty.
There are still big challenges ahead. So let us stand firm, Mr President, and always together. Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you again.
Thank you again for being here. And America's commitment to Poland is unwavering. We mean what we say, that an attack on -- on one inch of a NATO partner's soil is an attack on all of us. And that, I think, is what keeps us all safe.
And I look forward to our conversation and to working together in the years to come. And as Secretary Albright said, we stand together as allies. When we do, no force on Earth is more powerful.
So thank you. And we'll get to the point in a moment. Thank you.
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