US will not withdraw its troops from Europe, but Europeans must take greater responsibility for defence, - Sikorski

Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski does not believe that the United States will decide to withdraw its troops from Europe.

Sikorski made this statement in an interview with the Czech weekly Respekt, according to Censor.NET, citing PAP.

According to the head of the Polish Foreign Ministry, the US is not interested in leaving Europe, as a strong and independent European Union is of strategic importance to Washington.

"The EU as a whole is a more complex negotiating partner than individual countries," he said, stressing that this is what makes the European Union an important element of US global policy.

Sikorski also commented on the new US National Security Strategy, calling it realistic, albeit ideologically controversial. In his opinion, the strategy clearly signals expectations for Europe to play a greater role in defense.

"Europe must take greater care of itself and its security. We Poles have been allocating 2% of GDP to defense for years, and this year we are approaching 5%," the minister said, citing Poland as an example of strengthening defense capabilities.

In this context, he also criticized the claims about excessive numbers of immigrants in the EU contained in the US security strategy, calling them "strange from the point of view of a country built by immigrants."

Sikorski emphasized that Poland is well aware of its role as a key ally of the United States in Europe and, at the same time, as one of the influential members of the European Union, which should take an active part in shaping the common security policy.

US National Security Strategy

The White House recently unveiled a new strategy for US national security. In particular, it states that the European continent is facing "civilizational destruction" due to decades of economic decline, as well as political and cultural failures. The updated strategy highlights the ideological gap that has opened up between Washington and its traditional allies.
The head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, commented on the updated US National Security Strategy, which criticizes Europe. She noted that despite the ideological divide, the US remains a key ally of Europe.
The European Commission, in turn, emphasized that decisions concerning the European Union are made by the European Union.