Opening remarks

Prime Minister,

First of all thank you for your kind words, thank you for a very constructive and very positive meeting this morning.

it is a great pleasure to be back in Warsaw, and to meet you again.  We had an important discussion on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and our response to this grave crisis.  

To meet this challenge, we must show solidarity. We must show resolve. And we must show leadership.

Poland knows the importance of solidarity in the face of oppression. Poland knows the importance of resolve, in standing up for freedom and justice.

And Poland is showing strong leadership in this testing time. I thank you for all you have done.

You played a central role in the response to the political crisis in Ukraine, as people from across the country demanded a say in the future of their country.

And you are a leading voice in Europe and in NATO, as we assess the longer-term implications of this new situation for our own security.

The crisis shows us more clearly than ever that defence matters. That collective defence matters. And that cooperation between the two shores of the Atlantic is the best and most natural way to keep ourselves secure.

Those are the lessons of experience. We had already begun to implement them. We are already working together more to develop modern military capabilities, to reverse the decline in defence spending and to focus on the capabilities we need most.

Poland is already playing a vital part in those efforts.

I am confident that Poles will continue to invest in security and will stay vigilant. And let me assure you that as a member of NATO, you are safe. Anybody who would try to test Allied solidarity will fail.

We must make sure we strengthen our capabilities, through stronger investment and stronger cooperation. And we must do it sooner - not later.  

This challenge, too, will demand solidarity, resolve and leadership.

Prime Minister, I know that Poland will continue to provide all this as we prepare for the important work ahead.