FEBRUARY 20, 2025 – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth today praised the U.S. alliance with Poland during a joint press conference with that country’s defense minister in Warsaw.
“We see Poland as a model ally on the continent, willing to invest not just in their defense, but in our shared defense and defense of the continent,” Hegseth said.
It was intentional that the first bilateral engagement he participated in as U.S. defense secretary was held in that country, he explained.
Stating that the U.S. relationship with Poland is strong and growing stronger by the day, Hegseth described Poland as a “strategic frontline partner on NATO’s eastern flank,” and a staunch ally not only in words, but in actions as well.
He added that Poland leading by example in the areas of defense spending and military readiness is demonstrative of what is needed throughout the NATO alliance.
“Yesterday, in Brussels, we … talked a lot about spending and the need for hard power. Diplomacy is important, talk is important, [and] negotiations are important,” Hegseth said.
“But, ultimately, beans and bullets and tanks and helicopters and hard power still [matter]. Poland understands that and so do we,” he continued.
The secretary also said that the U.S. is exploring additional ways to partner with Poland to solidify each country’s respective defense industrial base.
“We want to achieve strength through peace together … The more [materiel Poland has], the stronger we are. The more we can cooperate with those systems, [and] the more interoperable our capabilities are, the better,” Hegseth said.
Having spent the morning participating in a physical training session with roughly 25-to-30 U.S. soldiers and Marines, Hegseth said he was able to get a feel for their views on being stationed in Poland.
“Each of them had nothing but gushing compliments for the Polish people, for the Polish military, for the amount of support they receive, for the true partnership [and] for the eagerness with which Polish troops work alongside American troops,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth also praised Poland for the number of investments and contributions the country makes toward infrastructure and the logistical support of U.S. troops stationed there.
“The level of partnership — just to underscore here — is unmatched in Europe,” Hegseth said of the U.S. alliance with Poland.
When asked about the future of U.S. troop levels in Europe, Hegseth reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to NATO.
“I will state definitively, as I did in Brussels, that America is committed to the NATO alliance,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth also stayed consistent with the same theme of needing increased defense spending by NATO member countries that he voiced throughout his weeklong European trip.
“Our message has been — and, as we discussed, we believe, heard loud and clear — that member countries in NATO need to spend more, need to invest more [and] need to have more skin in the game for their collective defense,” Hegseth said.
“That is not just a suggestion from the United States of America; that is a direct request, which we will follow up on as a reflection of [the member countries’] desire and commitment to actually defend their own backyard,” he added.
Hegseth also said that, while he believes American troop levels in Europe are important, the future is hard to predict due to the number of threats across the globe that the U.S. must “stare down.”
He said that forecasting what the geopolitical environment will look like five-to-15 years from now necessitates a larger discussion reflecting threat levels, America’s needs around the globe and — most significantly — the capability of European countries to defend themselves.
“And that’s why our message is so stark to our European allies: now is the time to invest, because you can’t make an assumption that America’s presence will last forever,” Hegseth said, adding that he believes countries like Poland would step up to defend themselves, should that day come.
“But, as of today, we are very proud of our partnership in Europe,” Hegseth said.
By Matthew Olay, DOD News