Obama calls for more US funding on Polish defence
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
03.06.2014 15:30
President Obama has called on US Congress for 1 billion dollars to be spent on adding to central and eastern European security, at the start of a two-day trip to Warsaw.
Barack Obama with President Komorowski at a joint news conference at the Belweder Palace in Warsaw: photo - PAP/Bartłomiej Zborowski
Speaking after talks with Polish president Bronislaw Komorowski on Tuesday morning, Obama told journalists at a joint news conference: “"I will ask Congress to approve $1 billion in support of this effort, which will be a strong manifestation of our sustained commitment to the security of our NATO allies.”
In turn, President Komorowski promised Obama that Poland would be increasing its defence spending.
"Poland intends to increase the level of financing of its own army to 2 percent of GDP," President Komorowski said after the crisis in Ukraine made the NATO alliance rethink its defence priorities.
Barack Obama is in Poland for celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the June 1989 elections, which ended four decades of communism. (pg)
Source: PAP/Reuters