On Tuesday, July 14 in Warsaw, the head of the Ministry of National Defense hosted Ryan McCarthy, Secretary of the United States Army.

- I thanked the Secretary for the fact that during the pandemic US troops were in Poland and that Defender 20 exercise was conducted. It was a challenge for all of us, but it turned out that the exercise was a success. I also thanked for the upcoming second edition of the exercise with US battalion being deployed to Poland. This is a very important experience beneficial for both Poland and NATO's entire eastern flank. I am glad that through our cooperation we are fulfilling the agreements between President Andrzej Duda and President Donald Trump, related to the presence of US troops in Poland - said Minister Błaszczak.

During the discussion, politicians raised the issue of prospects for military cooperation between Poland and the United States, including further details of increasing the presence of American soldiers on Polish territory.

- We are also pleased with the cooperation when it comes to the modernization of the Polish Army. We buy American equipment as part of FMS, a special procedure that is not specified for all countries. We are grateful we can use this mechanism and thus strengthen the defense capabilities of the Polish Army - said the head of the Ministry of National Defense.

The meeting coincided with the beginning of the American military exercise on Polish territory. As part of it, an American battalion and heavy military equipment will be moved to Europe. The visit of the US delegation to Warsaw is a manifestation of intensive and effective relations between the two countries in the area of ​​defense aimed at further and quickly strengthening the level of security of Poland and other Allies in our region.

- Despite our ongoing challenges we must remain focused on the defense of our nations across several fronts. United States and Poland have a long standing and enduring defense relationship. Over time, our shared history of military cooperation, collaborative partnerships and continued commitment to the NATO Alliance has strengthened security in the region. Although the COVID-19 pandemic altered our Defender 20 series, our armies, in concert with other Allies and Partners were able to safely and successfully execute portions of the exercise(...) Year over year, our relationship continues to evolve into an ironclad partnership. For the shared goal of increasing US and Polish security, and that of the region, the leaders of these two great nations signed two joint declarations last year, underscoring our shared values and how we will deepen our defense. We look forward to signing more declarations in the future - said Secretary McCarthy.

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Owing to the declarations of the presidents of Poland and the USA signed in 2019, we have ensured an enduring, increased presence of American forces in our country. These agreements were confirmed during the last meeting of President A. Duda and President D. Trump in Washington in June this year. The provisions of the presidential declarations are already being implemented. There is a US Divisional Command (Forward) in Poznań, commanded by an American Brigadier General. It is a structure responsible for coordinating US forces on NATO's eastern flank. The number of American soldiers in Poland is also growing successively - it currently amounts to approx. 5,000 soldiers in average on annual terms - over the past few years, the involvement of US forces has increased significantly.

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From July 14 to August 23, as part of the USA Army (Emergency Deployment Readiness) exercise, an American battalion will be transferred to Europe. Strategic deployment, led by the US Department of Defense, is designed to test the ability of the US Army to respond quickly and deploy its forces anywhere in the world. The battalion will check readiness to transfer troops across the Atlantic as part of allied assistance to European countries.