Foreign pool report #1 - bacground on the Polish President's visit

Good morning,

I will be your foreign pooler for Polish President Karol Nawrocki’s [pronounce: navrotski] visit to the White House.

Nawrocki is expected to arrive at South Portico at 11:00 AM, where he will be greeted by POTUS. A few minutes later, both presidents will watch a military flyover from the South Lawn, per Polish delegation.

The schedule includes bilateral meetings in the Oval Office (pool spray), followed by a working lunch in the Cabinet Room (closed press). The Polish president is not expected to speak at the sticks. He will later hold a press conference for Polish media. Before departing Washington, Nawrocki will lay a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery.

Nawrocki arrived in Washington last night and is staying at Blair House. This marks his first foreign trip as president of Poland and his second meeting with Trump. The two first met briefly in June during the Polish presidential campaign, when Nawrocki attended a religious event in the Rose Garden and posed for photos with Trump in the Oval Office—a gesture widely seen as a sign of support from Trump.

On the agenda

According to Nawrocki’s office, the White House talks will focus primarily on security issues concerning Poland and the wider region, including the war in Ukraine. Chief of Staff Zbigniew Bogucki said the president plans to emphasize that neither Russia nor its leader, Vladimir Putin, can be trusted. Poland is also seeking assurances that the United States will maintain its troop presence in Poland at current levels, even if Washington decides to reduce its military footprint elsewhere in Europe.

Nawrocki’s meeting with Trump is expected to be largely political in nature. No concrete deliverables are anticipated, as the president of Poland holds limited executive power, which largely rests with the centrist-liberal, pro-European government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Poland’s Foreign Ministry has advised Nawrocki not to make any commitments on the purchase of U.S. weapons or on supporting an American company in the construction of a second Polish nuclear power plant. The ministry also recommended avoiding sensitive issues such as the digital services tax.

Who is Karol Nawrocki

42-year-old Karol Nawrocki— a historian and former Director of the Institute of National Remembrance – is a political newcomer who was elected Poland’s new president following the runoff election on June 1. He ran as an independent backed by the right-wing Law and Justice party. In the second round, he defeated Rafał Trzaskowski of the centrist Civic Platform, winning 50.9 percent of the vote. His victory strengthened the right-wing populist movement in Poland and in Europe.

During his campaign Nawrocki built a reputation as a tough, uncompromising conservative. He emphasized his Catholic faith and family values. He would frequently post photos of himself on social media exercising in the gym, running, or boxing. He has acknowledged past involvement in soccer fans’ brawls, which he presented as formative experiences. The tough-guy image helped him win the support of young men, a crucial part of his electoral coalition.

Nawrocki is closely aligned with the MAGA movement. He emphasizes Christian values, considers migration a threat to traditional culture, opposes same-sex marriage, and supports criminalizing abortion. He often criticizes the European Union for overreach and its green energy transition policies. Although he takes a firm anti-Russian stance and condemns Putin’s aggression, he opposes Ukraine’s accession to NATO. Recently, he vetoed Tusk’s government bill extending social welfare payments for Ukrainian refugees.

Relations between Karol Nawrocki and Donald Tusk’s government remain highly contentious. Since the president holds veto power, he is expected to continue obstructing prime minister’s agenda. Since taking office on August 6 Nawrocki has already vetoed 7 bills passed by Tusk’s governing coalition.

Donald Trump and Poland

Donald Trump maintained close ties with Poland during his first term as president, particularly with the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government and President Andrzej Duda. He praises Poland for being a leader in military spending among NATO members. Trump also often talks about his first major foreign policy speech in Warsaw in 2017 and praises how well he was received by the Poles. Trump actively courted Polish Americans during both the 2016 and 2024 U.S. presidential elections, recognizing their significant presence in key swing states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

President Trump was relatively popular in Poland during his first term, benefiting from strong support among right-leaning voters and conservative media. However, his overall approval declined. According to a Pew Research Center poll, only 35% of Poles has now confidence in Trump to “do the right thing regarding world affairs,” while 60% expressed little or no confidence.

Polish–U.S. Relations

Poland is one of the most pro-American countries in Europe and considers the United States as its main security guarantor. Currently, about 10,000 U.S. soldiers are stationed in Poland on a rotational basis. These deployments began under President Obama after Russia’s takeover of Crimea in 2014 and were reinforced by the Biden administration following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Poland currently spends over 4,5% of its GDP on defense, channeling billions of dollars into U.S. military equipment. Contracts with American defense manufacturers include F-35 fighter jets, Apache helicopters, HIMARS rocket systems, Patriot air defense systems, M1A1 Abrams tanks, and other weapons.

Poland is building two nuclear power plants and expects to spend $40 billion on both projects. In 2022, the Polish government selected the U.S. company Westinghouse to build the first plant, scheduled to become operational in 2033—one of the largest energy projects in Central and Eastern Europe. The contractor for the second plant has not yet been chosen, and the United States is lobbying strongly to secure that contract as well.

Marek Wałkuski

White House Correspondent for Polskie Radio

Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

X: @marekwalkuski