We will gladly accept American troops if Germany does not want them - Duda
Polish President Andrzej Duda said that if Germany does not want to see American troops on its territory, Poland will be happy to receive them.
His statement was quoted by Politico, Censor.NET reports.
Earlier, the winner of the German elections, Friedrich Merz, said that US President Donald Trump does not care about Europe and Europe will have to create its own military alliance instead of NATO.
"If Germany does not want American troops, does not want a partnership with the United States, we are very willing to accept a partnership with the United States," Duda said.
"I am interested in transferring all the cooperation that Germany has with the United States to Poland. I am very willing," the Polish president added.
Duda was also skeptical of Merz's suggestion that Europe might have to find a replacement for NATO.
"NATO without the United States? Maybe, but what's the point? If there is a security alliance without the United States, then its guarantees without the world's strongest state will be simply illusory," Duda said.
"A reliable ally is, first and foremost, the United States of America, which has repeatedly demonstrated over the past hundred years that when it comes back into the game, it is able to end any armed conflict. We saw it during the First World War, we saw it during the Second World War, right here in Europe," the Polish president said.
Under the Polish political system, the government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Duda's opponent, plays a leading role in foreign and military policy.
Tusk is also very pro-American, but he takes the lead in meetings of European leaders to set the continent's security policy in light of what is happening in the United States.
