LOC09:54
06:54 GMT
WASHINGTON, March 13 (KUNA) -- US President Joe Biden received President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Dusk of Poland at the White House, where they discussed files regarding Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia since February 2022
A White House statement said both sides were committed to ensuring continued support for self-defense in Ukraine against "Russia's war of aggression."
President Biden also discussed with President Duda and Prime Minister Tusk the partnership between the United States and Poland on energy security and importance of democratic values
The visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of Poland's accession to NATO and underscores the strength of the two countries' commitment to the alliance, the White House said in the statement.
President Biden stressed that the US will move forward with a new USD two billion Foreign Military Financing (FMF) direct loan to Poland to strengthen its security and support its defense modernization using previously appropriated congressional funds.
The statement added that this loan will enable Poland to purchase additional US defense equipment, supporting US jobs and strengthening the security relationship, noting that the US will offer to sell Poland 96 AH-64 Apache helicopters.
This is a major step to provide Poland's armed forces with cutting-edge capability to defend itself, strengthen NATO interoperability, and further bolster the U.S. defense industry.
Ahead of this meeting, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan praised the support Poland has provided to Ukraine since late February 2022.
Sullivan told reporters at the White House that Poland has provided significant assistance to Ukraine and played a critical role for the United States and its partners in a historic and unprecedented effort to provide Ukraine with the needed tools.
The US official noted the relations between Washington and Warsaw, stressing that their bilateral relationship is growing stronger." (end)
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