During a dinner in New York, former US President Donald Trump and Polish President Andrzej Duda engaged in discussions regarding the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as confirmed by Trump’s reelection campaign.
Trump, the real estate mogul, taking a break from his hush money criminal trial, hosted Duda at his Trump Tower property in Manhattan.
Expressing his admiration for Duda’s leadership, Trump referred to their past collaboration, stating, “He’s done a fantastic job and he’s my friend, and we had four great years together.” The interaction was captured in a video shared on Trump’s Truth Social account.
“We may have to do it again,” Trump remarked.
The Trump campaign disclosed that the meeting also involved deliberations on Duda’s proposition for NATO member countries to raise their defense spending target from two percent to three percent of GDP.
Trump has been known for his criticism of NATO, suggesting that member nations have not been contributing their equitable share.
Addressing various global issues towards achieving world peace, the statement from the Trump campaign highlighted discussions on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Middle East tensions involving Israel, and other pertinent topics.
Engaged in a form of unofficial diplomacy, Trump, when not occupied with legal affairs, has been actively engaging with international leaders amid speculations of a potential return to office.
In recent events, Trump had talks concerning NATO policies and the Ukraine crisis with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, while also hosting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, in the previous month.
Duda and Trump shared a robust alliance during Trump’s previous presidential term, with Poland prioritizing its connection with the US, sometimes at the expense of European Union relations.
Duda even proposed the establishment of a US military base dubbed “Fort Trump” on Polish territory.
In light of Trump’s unsubstantiated claims challenging the 2020 election results, Duda delayed his congratulatory message to President Joe Biden for over a month.
AFP