U.S. President Joe Biden said on March 11 that "there's no need for more troops at the Polish border" ahead of a meeting with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk scheduled to take place in Washington on March 12.
The White House said previously that Duda and Tusk were traveling to the U.S. to advocate for continued U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
A partisan impasse in Congress has stalled $61 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine for months as front-line troops face ammunition shortages and Russian forces advance.
Bloomberg reported on March 12, citing confidential sources, that the Polish leaders planned to ask Biden to send more U.S. troops to the border. Duda and Tusk also reportedly will seek to purchase more advanced weaponry from the U.S. and hasten the delivery of existing orders.
With Russian aggression drawing closer to its borders, Poland has pledged to significantly increase the size of its own armed forces. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said in September 2023 that he believed Poland would soon amass a force of 300,000 soldiers, making it the largest land army in Europe.
A survey published on Feb. 22 by the Polish media outlet RMF24 revealed that nearly 50% of Poles believe a Russian attack on Poland is "likely."
Abbey Fenbert
(Updated: )
