President Donald Trump and Polish President Karol Nawrocki watch a military aircraft flyover at the White House, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in Washington. The Washington Monument stands in the distance. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-09-03T04:05:19Z WASHINGTON (AP) Polands new president, Karol Nawrocki, arrived at the White House on Wednesday, looking to strengthen his relationship with President Donald Trump and make the case that the United States needs to maintain its robust military presence in his country.Trump gave the Polish leader a hearty slap on the shoulder, and the presidents then stood side by side watching as U.S. military jets soared over on the White House South Lawn. A group of F-16s flew in a missing man formation as a tribute to a Polish Air Force F-16 pilot, Maj. Maciej Slab Krakowian, who died in a crash in Poland on Aug. 28.The visit to Washington is Nawrockis first overseas trip since taking office last month. It comes after Trump took the unusual step of involving himself in the elections of longtime ally Poland, endorsing Nawrocki, who was backed by the conservative Law and Justice party. Now in office, the former amateur boxer and historian is hoping to deepen his relationship with Trump at a fraught moment for Warsaw.Trump is increasingly frustrated by his inability to get Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sit down for direct talks aimed at ending the war between Polands neighbors. Trump last month met with Putin in Alaska and then with Zelenskyy and several European leaders at the White House. The Republican president emerged from those engagements confident that he would be able to quickly arrange direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy and perhaps three-way talks in which he would participate. But his optimism in hatching an agreement to end the war has dimmed as Putin has yet to signal an interest in sitting down with Zelenskyy.Maybe they have to fight a little longer, Trump said in an interview with the conservative Daily Caller published over the weekend. You know, just keep fighting stupidly, keep fighting. There is also heightened anxiety in Poland, and across Europe, about Trumps long-term commitment to a strong U.S. force posture on the continent an essential deterrent to Russia. Some key advisers in his administration have advocated for shifting U.S. troops and military from Europe to the Indo-Pacific with Chinas lock as the United States most significant strategic and economic competitor. Currently, there are about 8,200 American troops stationed in Poland, but the force level regularly fluctuates, according to the Pentagon.The stakes are very high for President Nawrockis visit, said Peter Doran, an analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Trump will have an opportunity to size up Polands new president, and Nawrocki also will have the chance to do the same. Failure in this meeting would mean a pullback of American force posture in Poland, and success would mean a clear endorsement of Poland as one of Americas most important allies on the front line.Trump made clear before Polands election this spring he wanted Nawrocki to win, dangling the prospect of closer military ties if the Poles elected Nawrocki. Trump even hosted him at the White House before the vote. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also traveled to Poland shortly before Polands May election to tell Poles if they elected Nawrocki and other conservatives they would have a strong ally in Trump who would ensure that you will be able to fight off enemies that do not share your values.Ultimately, Polish voters went with Nawrocki in a tight election over liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafa Trzaskowski.Most of the power in Polands parliamentary system rests with an elected parliament and a government chosen by the parliament. The president can veto legislation and represents the country abroad. Nawrocki has tense relations with the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, an ally of Trzaskowski.Nawrocki has echoed some of Trumps language on Ukraine. He promises to continue Polands support for Ukraine but has been critical of Zelenskyy, accusing him of taking advantage of allies. Nawrocki has accused Ukrainian refugees of taking advantage of Polish generosity and vowed to prioritize Poles for social services such as health care and schooling. At the same time, Nawrocki will be looking to stress to Trump that Russia aggression in Ukraine underscores that Putin cant be trusted and that a strong U.S. presence in Poland remains an essential deterrent, said Heather Conley, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where she focuses on trans-Atlantic security and geopolitics.Russia and its ally Belarus are set to hold joint military exercises this month in Belarus, unnerving Poland as well as fellow NATO members Latvia and Lithuania.The message Nawrocki ultimately wants to give President Trump is how dangerous Putins revisionism is, and that it does not necessarily end with Ukraine, Conley said. Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin and Michelle L. Price and Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report. AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site