Poland's President Duda becomes latest leader to visit Donald Trump as allies eye possible return

Former President Donald Trump meets with Polish President Andrzej Duda in New York to discuss Ukraine and NATO.

Former President Donald Trump met on April 18 in New York with Polish President Andrzej Duda, the latest in a series of meetings with foreign leaders as Europe braces for the possibility of a second Trump term.

The presumptive Republican nominee hosted Mr. Duda at Trump Tower, where the two discussed the war in Ukraine and Mr. Duda's push to boost NATO members' defence spending, according to a readout from Mr. Trump's campaign. Mr. Duda, who has long expressed admiration for Mr. Trump, is also a staunch supporter of Ukraine and has encouraged Washington to provide more aid to Kyiv amid Russian's ongoing invasion. That funding has been held up by Mr. Trump allies in Congress.

As he arrived, Mr. Trump praised the Polish president, saying, “He's done a fantastic job and he's my friend. We had four great years together," Mr. Trump added. “We're behind Poland all the way." Mr. Duda is the latest foreign leader to meet with Mr. Trump in the weeks since he locked up the Republican nomination. U.S. allies across the world were caught off guard by Mr. Trump's surprise 2016 win, forcing them to scramble to build relationships with a President who often attacked longstanding treaties and alliances they valued. Setting up meetings with him during the 2024 campaign suggests they don't want to be behind again.

Even as he goes on trial for one of the four criminal indictments against him, Mr. Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden are locked in a rematch that most observers expect will be exceedingly close in November.

While some in Poland worried the visit might damage the country's relationship with Mr. Biden, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a Biden ally and a major voice in his party on foreign affairs, said such meetings make sense.

“The polls are close,” he said. “If I were a foreign leader — and there's a precedent attached to meeting with candidates who are nominated or on the path to being nominated — I'd probably do it too.” Mr. Murphy noted that former President Barack Obama did a lengthy international tour and met with foreign leaders when he first ran for the White House. So did Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts Governor, who challenged Obama in 2012 and whose trip included a stop in Poland's capital, Warsaw.

Mr. Duda's visit comes a week after Mr. Trump met with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, another NATO member and key proponent of supporting Ukraine, at the former President's Florida estate.