President Karol Nawrocki’s first trip abroad took him to the Oval Office, where he and U.S. President Donald Trump underlined a tighter security partnership and signaled continuity—if not expansion—of America’s military footprint in Poland. Asked whether U.S. troops would remain, Trump said they would, adding that Washington could deploy additional forces “if [Poles] want” them, a message Warsaw has long sought amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
Nawrocki framed the presence of U.S. forces as a new kind of normal for his country, calling it “the first time in the history of Poland in the 20th and 21st centuries that Poles are happy to have foreign soldiers in Poland,” and describing American troops as part of Polish society. The remark captured the political symbolism of the visit: reassurance for NATO’s eastern flank and a signal to Moscow that transatlantic resolve remains intact.
Pressed on Russia policy, Trump said he plans to hold conversations on the war “in the coming days,” after a previous meeting with Vladimir Putin failed to deliver a breakthrough. He bristled at suggestions of inaction, pointing to recently announced secondary measures targeting India over purchases of Russian oil and hinting there could be “phase two” and “phase three” steps if required. The White House has simultaneously maintained that any endgame must stop the fighting and uphold European security.
Beyond defense, officials on both sides described the session as cordial and pragmatic, with discussion touching on energy security, defense-industrial cooperation and coordination with European partners ahead of further talks on security guarantees for Ukraine. For Warsaw, the visit delivered a clear headline: U.S. forces are staying—and, if Poland requests it, their presence could grow.
