As reported by the Trump campaign, the dinner, spanning two and a half hours, took place at Trump’s residence in Trump Tower, where the former president is residing while attending his New York trial related to hush money.
“We had four great years together,” Trump informed reporters before the dinner, standing alongside Duda in the lobby of Trump Tower. “We may have to do it again.”
Details regarding the meeting were scant from Trump’s campaign, though it was mentioned that
they discussed Duda’s proposition for NATO member nations to increase defense spending to 3% of their gross domestic product (GDP) — a stance also advocated by the Polish president in a recent opinion piece in the Washington Post.
In the article, Duda emphasized that “Russia’s imperialistic ambitions and aggressive revisionism are pushing Moscow toward a direct confrontation with NATO,” stressing the need for NATO to be prepared to counter this threat.
Trump has refrained from committing to defending NATO, stating that his support would be contingent on member nations spending at least 2% of their GDP on defense.
Despite not providing specifics, the campaign also indicated discussions about the conflicts in Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas.
The dinner with Duda is part of a series of conversations Trump has had in recent months with global leaders.
Leading up to the November elections, he has engaged with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, held discussions with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, and met with Argentine President Javier Milei and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, as reported by two individuals familiar with the discussions. Cameron has stated they discussed funding for Ukraine during their meeting, according to the Washington Post.
Trump and Duda share a longstanding, warm relationship. Duda previously proposed naming a military base in Poland ‘Fort Trump’ and visited the White House in 2020 during Trump’s reelection campaign.
Duda, whose term ends in 2025, has urged the Biden administration to provide more assistance to Ukraine. This stance potentially pits him against Trump, who is less keen on providing aid and has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Last month, Duda and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with President Biden to discuss providing weaponry to Kyiv. Although Duda, a conservative, and Tusk, center-right, do not always see eye-to-eye domestically, they united in Washington to advocate for U.S. support for Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.
During the March visit, Duda also conferred with Speaker Mike Johnson, who is currently advocating for a multi-faceted plan to supply aid to Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific.
Biden has voiced support for Johnson’s proposal, and during a joint appearance with Johnson at Mar-a-Lago, Trump mentioned he is “considering” aid to Ukraine, suggesting it might take the form of a loan rather than a “gift.”
