BACKGROUND PRESS CALL
BY SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS
ON THE VISIT OF PRESIDENT DUDA OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND
Via Teleconference
10:06 A.M. EDT
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Good morning. Thank you for joining this background briefing on the visit of President Duda of the Republic of Poland. This call is embargoed until its conclusion and is attributable on background to senior administration officials.
Today, we have [senior administration officials]. Each of our senior administration officials will give brief remarks, and then we will go into Q&A.
With that, I will turn it over to our first senior administration official to set the scene for the visit from the White House perspective.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Hi, folks. Thank you. We’re very excited and the President is very excited to welcome President Duda back to the White House. This is the third visit by President Duda to Washington, and it’s the first head of state visit following the COVID-19 pandemic. We think it’s a clear demonstration of the strength of the U.S.-Poland relationship and how close we are to Poland as an ally.
The two presidents are going to discuss a broad set of topics, which includes energy security, where Poland is a leader for the entire region, diversifying its energy supply and lessening its dependence on Russian imports. The President is especially happy that Poland just purchased U.S. LNG, starting in 2022. And we’re making progress toward a more extensive civil nuclear partnership.
Regional security: They’re going to discuss Poland and how far ahead of its peers in the region they are, spending over 2 percent of GDP on defense, modernizing its entire military, and investing in equipment and readiness to ensure the deterrence and defense of NATO’s Eastern Flank. We’re making progress toward a defense cooperation agreement that would further strengthen our security cooperation. And my colleague is going to add some more on that topic.
The Three Seas Initiative will be another topic they’ll discuss. This is really a bottom-up effort by Central and Eastern European states to deliver transparent, free, and fair regional economic growth, infrastructure investment, and smart connectivity.
This is very different from the type of results you see from 17+1 and the Belt and Road Initiative, which are really vehicles to expand China’s influence in Europe, to divide and conquer and to burden countries with unsustainable and opaque debt obligations.
The United States is proud to have pledged up to $1 billion to the Three Seas Initiative. And we’re very thankful for Poland for investing 500 million euros the Three Seas Initiative as well.
On trade and investment: Between our two countries, that’s grown significantly, and trade volume has increased by some 50 percent since President Trump took office. And U.S. investment into Poland is continuing to grow.
So we’re looking forward to continuing to work with Poland and other likeminded countries as we recover from the pandemic and rebuild our economies stronger, more resilient, and less dependent on China.
And on 5G security: We are very pleased by the MOU signed between our two countries last December. We think it’s tremendous that Poland is putting telecoms security and data privacy first by selecting only trusted 5G providers and equipment.
And I think -- in closing, I think it’s important to highlight how the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated just how close our relationship with Poland and Europe more broadly is. The United States sent millions of PPE items to Poland. Our business community and American citizens around the globe donated millions in support of Poland’s response.
We’re continuing to work together as we develop therapeutics and vaccines. And Poland sent a team of doctors to Chicago to help their American counterparts in the response, and they’ve saved countless lives.
In fact, the leader of that medical team is going to be joining us, and the President is looking forward to thanking him personally.
So I’m going to pass it off to [senior administration official], who can discuss our security cooperation and defense cooperation in greater detail.
Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you. And I just want to add a few thoughts to what [senior administration official] said to really underscore what an important and reliable security partner Poland is to the United States, both as a NATO Ally and part of the NATO Alliance, and also bilaterally, in bilateral U.S.-Poland relations.
Poland currently has 126 active foreign military sales cases with the United States. I’ll mention just some of the more recent and more visible ones. They’ve become a customer of the F-35 fighter aircraft program; the Patriot air and missile defense system; the HIMARS, which is the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System; and the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles.
This is a modernization that really is going to give Poland a very broad capability within the defense -- a broad defense capability, I should say, to be that very strong partner, both for their own defense as a bilateral partner of the United States and as a member of the NATO Alliance. It shows that Poland is taking its responsibility as a member of the NATO Alliance very seriously and very reliably.
And it’s not just -- although it’s important that we share procurement, Poland is also a partner of NATO and the U.S. forces around the world. And significantly, they provide significant support -- Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan where they assisted with the Afghan Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Interior in building up those agencies’ capabilities in order to promote peace and stability.
And also, very notably, with Kosovo Force -- since everything has to have an acronym, KFOR -- where, again, they provided military forces and civilians in order to promote stability and peace and to monitor compliance with the various multinational agreements in the Balkans.
So Poland has just been a model defense partner of both the United States and the broader NATO Alliance, and that’s just one of many reasons why we’re so pleased, and the President and the administration are so pleased to have President Duda visiting here with us this week.
And with that, I’ll turn it over to [senior administration official].
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Thank you very much. Let me just say -- maybe I'm going to highlight some of the things that have already been said, so at the risk of repetition, but I think they're worth mentioning again.
So our centuries-old relationship is the strongest that it’s ever been. I think the facts speak for themselves. We've enjoyed a tremendous number of wins and a quantum leap in the bilateral relationship since we last met here at the White House almost a year ago today.
I'm extremely proud that Poland has joined the visa waiver program that’s ensured that people-to-people ties remain strong for the centuries to come.
We've delivered on energy security. We’ve delivered on our shared economic prosperity. And we've strengthened the Eastern Flank of NATO. No one can deny that.
President Duda’s visit to the White House this week comes at a critical time for both the United States and Poland as we reopen our country after months of battling the coronavirus.
On defense: Last September, our President signed a Joint Declaration of Defense Cooperation. Since then, we have inaugurated a new divisional headquarters forward in Poznań, which is under the command of the U.S. brigadier general.
We’re making great progress in establishing a combat training center in Poland through exercises like Defender 20 Plus, and the United States is ready to provide the best battlefield simulation equipment available, upon request from Poland.
The U.S. Army has already established an area support group that can be tailored to support an increase of U.S. soldiers in Poland. Despite the pandemic, we've had very successful exercises -- a sign, I think, to anyone who doubts NATO’s readiness and U.S. commitment to the Alliance.
We are looking closely with our Polish counterparts on a Defense Cooperation Agreement to realize the vision put forward by both our presidents. We are now focused on the final details for the legal agreements, which are similar to those that we've completed with other allies around the world.
When the Defense Cooperation Agreement is signed, the U.S. Air Force plans to rotate an MQ-9 Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance squadron into Poland and establish an aerial port of debarkation.
We've agreed on a location for the armored brigade combat team -- ABCT -- and are in discussions regarding additional infrastructure to support the ABCT, as well as the combat aviation brigade and combat support sustainment battalion.
Poland is a stalwart ally and it invests heavily in its defense, and it meets its commitments to the Alliance. Poland’s ambitious 15-year defense modernization program valued at over $130 billion will help it continue to meet its commitments to NATO. I am proud that the U.S. equipment, the best in the world, is a major part of Poland’s efforts.
Poland currently has 123 active foreign military sales valued at approximately $15.6 billion. Major recent FMS sales include the F-35 fighter aircraft that was a $4.6 billion deal; the Patriot air and missile defense system, another $4.6 billion; High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, HIMARS -- $417 million; Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles, JASSM -- $136 million; and the Javelin anti-tank missiles, $55 million. (Inaudible.)
U.S. investment in Poland is at a record high, including by cutting-edge technology companies like Google and Microsoft who have their (inaudible) in Poland, because Poland graduates a high number of engineers every year compared to other EU countries.
Bilateral trade hit a record level in 2019 of $14.3 billion. Now, COVID-19 has contributed to a slowing in trade. But we expect new records in 2021 as our economy and people bounce back.
The United States looks forward to working with Poland and other allies and partners to strengthen the resilience of our economy, protect our critical infrastructure, and diversify our supply chains to prevent dependencies that can be exploited by any single nation.
On energy -- this is quite a story for Poland. Poland is to renew its contract with Gazprom, and that contract is up in 2022. They did meet -- did not resign that contract because they will be energy independent in 2022. Now, that’s quite an accomplishment. They will no longer need Russian gas.
They have bought U.S. liquefied and natural gas from us. And a few examples of that -- and this (inaudible) goes right to the national security. The total value of all the years of all contracts in LNG is $50 billion. The total amount of LNG for all contracts over all years is 141 million tons of LNG. We are seeking to conclude a bilateral civil nuclear agreement that will allow Poland to move ahead quickly in building large-scale nuclear plants with American technology -- the best in the world.
The U.S. Development Finance Corporation’s move to lift its prohibition on nuclear projects will facilitate the start of what can be a century or more of nuclear cooperation. The United States and Poland will stand as strong partners in the enduring pursuit of peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
The Three Seas Initiative: We are pleased by Poland’s strong leadership in the Three Seas Initiative, which boosts economic prosperity through connectivity between Baltic, Adriatic, and Black Seas.
Unlike other multilateral fora designed to divide and conquer, like 17+1 or efforts that burden countries under a mountain of debt, like the Belt and Road Initiative, the Three Seas Initiative relies on transparency, Western values, and cooperation among its members. The United States is proud to pledge up to $1 billion towards a Three Seas Initiative fund through the DFC and commends Poland on its sizable contribution of 500 million euros to this fund.
On the telecommunications strategy: In September, the United States and Poland signed a joint declaration on 5G in Warsaw, their first declaration of this kind. That laid the groundwork for secure 5G and sends an important signal to the rest of Europe. We are completely advancing the security of our telecommunications, because the privacy of our personal data should be paramount. Our governments and our companies are following up on this declaration, and concrete projects are on the horizon.
I want to also take a moment to congratulate the Polish government for its proactive policy to combat COVID-19. It is in phase two of opening up. I have statistics on that if you need them.
In conclusion, as friends and allies, we have much to be grateful. Our bilateral relationship with Poland is stronger than ever. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the Polish people for their friendship, and I look forward to great things we will accomplish together in the coming years. Stay tuned for the other announcements.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: All right. Moderator, we're ready to open up for questions.
Q Hi, this is Jeff Mason with Reuters. My question is with regard to the President's recent announcements on Germany and moving U.S. troops out of Germany. Will more of those troops now, or some of those troops, be reallocated to Poland in addition to the 1,000 or 2,000 that have already been discussed? And what is the progress or the status of that? Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yeah. Thanks for that question. I think I would just refer you to Ambassador O'Brien, our National Security Advisor -- his recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. It's premature to cite any specific number to any specific location at this time.
But, you know, certainly the -- once that laydown has been determined, we'll consult with our allies and then we'll, you know, continue the -- sorry. So, anyway, the -- you know, some may -- are expected to -- as Ambassador O'Brien stated, some may deploy to the Indo-Pacific, others will be potentially other places in Europe, some may eventually redeploy to the United States. But I wouldn’t make any specific numbers until those final determinations have been made.
Q Hey, guys. Thank you. Nick Schifrin from PBS NewsHour. I just want to expand Jeff's question and talk not only about numbers, but the just the general thought. So as you're talking about 1,000 or 2,000 additional troops already in Poland, what is the message you’re sending to Russia with those troops?
And what is the thinking, going forward, as to where you do deploy troops out of Germany? When you look at the European theater, what message are you trying to send as you consider where you’re going to move them? What message does that send to Russia? Thanks.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: So, again, I would -- I would start by referring you to Ambassador O’Brien’s recent op-ed. And I would not read or want to state beyond what’s in that op-ed any specific messages. The constant message is, is that we have an unshakeable alliance with our NATO partners and that Poland is an extremely important, valued, and responsible member of that Alliance.
Q Hi, this is Jeff Schogol with Task & Purpose. Thank you so much for doing this. I believe I heard in the opening remarks someone say that the U.S. and Poles had decided on a sit for an armored brigade combat team. Can you say where that site is, and will it be the full complement of 3,500 to 5,000 soldiers? Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I’m happy to answer that. I think you misunderstood my comment. I named the divisional headquarters forward, which will be in Poznań. This is not -- we have not made that determination yet for what you’re talking about.
Q This is (inaudible) from CNBC. I’m wondering if you can explain a little bit of the logistics with the Polish delegation arriving to the United States. Will they all be tested as they land or just as they come to the White House? Can you give us a little bit of, you know, how you’re planning on social distancing? Will there be masks between the two leaders? Thanks so much.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yeah, thank you. You know, the White House is continuing to implement very high health and safety procedures for all visitors. All members of both the Polish and U.S. delegations are going to be tested for their protection, as well as for the protection of both Presidents Trump and Duda. But I’m not going to get further into the details than that.
Q Yeah, this is (inaudible) with ZDF German TV. I understand that no determination has been made to move troops from Germany to Poland. Of course, press in Poland is reporting specifics on Fifth Corps headquarter -- being moved -- the F-16 fighter jets being moved there. But if there is no determination, you can -- can you give us a timeframe what the consultations will be like in the next couple of weeks or months to make that determination?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Yeah, I would just say that we have nothing to add, other than what we’ve already said on that subject.
Q Hi, this is Franco Ordoñez from NPR. Thanks for doing this call. I wanted -- I was hoping you could speak more about this being the first foreign visit since the coronavirus. Were other visits moved around? Were any, like, special steps taken so that President Duda would be the first?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Sure. So we don’t have anything additional on other visits. But certainly, you know, we’re very much looking forward to hosting this visit and getting back to normal and moving forward.
Q Yes, this is Anthony Leake from Chronicle Fashion Guide. In regards to the President’s suspension of the H-1B visa, will that be -- will Poland be a part of that, are they an exception to the rule?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: We don’t have any additional announcements on the visa. And we can actually do one more question, moderator.
Q Hello, my name is Stephanie Taylor from Intelligent Luxury. My question is: Does President Trump plan to discuss with President Duda from Poland about increasing tourism to the nation of Poland by United States citizens? Thank you for this call. That’s my question.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Let me just say that I -- both President Trump and President Duda’s main issues on their agenda for tomorrow will be how we get open our countries, how we can increase economic stability through this period. So I would not be surprised if that wasn’t on the agenda. I can assure you that this is going to be on one the main topics.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: All right, thank you, everyone, for joining today’s call. As a reminder, this call is attributable on background to senior administration officials. The call is now concluded and the embargo is lifted.
END 10:29 A.M. EDT
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