Arkadiusz Mularczyk made the statement in an interview with public broadcaster Polish Radio ahead of a visit to Warsaw next week by US President Joe Biden.
Mularczyk was asked if he believed Biden could announce a plan for permanent NATO bases in Poland during his visit to the country from February 20 to 22.
During his trip to Warsaw, Biden is scheduled to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda, attend a meeting of NATO’s eastern-flank countries, and deliver a key speech ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the White House.
Mularczyk told Polish Radio on Monday: “I wouldn’t like to get ahead of President Biden because he is set to unveil some plans here.”
Mularczyk added that during his recent trip to the United States, he had lobbied for the creation of permanent NATO bases in Poland.
‘There won’t be a better opportunity’
“In a week or so, we’ll learn about the plans and decisions that President Biden is bringing to Poland," Mularczyk said.
"We would like it [the creation of permanent NATO bases] to happen, but this is for America to decide," he added.
Mularczyk told Polish Radio: “There is a war going on beyond our borders. We are feeling its effects in Poland and in Europe, both when it comes to helping refugees and in terms of economic and military cooperation.”
'We would welcome such decisions, but we’ll see if they happen'
He said: “There won’t be a better opportunity in our relations, but this is obviously for the US to decide. We would welcome such decisions, but we’ll see if they happen."
Mularczyk added that Biden’s upcoming visit was "proof that the strategic Polish-American friendship is developing,” Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The deputy foreign minister also stated that “Poland’s importance has increased substantially" and that "there is noticeable gratitude in the US towards our country for the help extended to Ukraine, for the fact that Poland is leading the way in providing this help, but also in mobilising European countries in support of Ukraine,” the PAP news agency reported.
Monday is day 355 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, tvp.info