During the talks, Blinken thanked the Polish people for their hospitality and openness in welcoming refugees from Ukraine, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
Blinken also expressed his appreciation for Poland's leadership within NATO, praising the country's commitment to spending over 4 percent of its GDP on defence and its continued efforts to modernise its armed forces, according to the US embassy in Warsaw.
Duda's talks with Blinken also focused on working together in civilian nuclear energy, including a joint project to build Poland's first nuclear power plant, the Polish President's Office said.
It noted in a social media post that Duda in March visited the US state of Georgia, where he highlighted Poland's commitment to energy security and adherence to EU climate policies through the development of nuclear energy.
Duda at the time toured the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Georgia, where he discussed "the safe and modern AP1000 reactors by Westinghouse," which officials said would soon be installed in Poland.
The planned project is part of Poland's broader strategy to establish a nuclear power sector, with the first Polish nuclear power plant using US technology expected to come on stream in Choczewo, in the north of the country, by 2033, and a second one in partnership with the South Korean corporation KHNP by 2035.
While in Warsaw on Thursday, Blinken was also scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski to discuss bilateral defence and energy ties, as well as ongoing Western support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion.
Russia invaded Ukraine by land, air and sea on February 24, 2022, starting the largest military conflict in Europe since World War II.
Thursday is day 932 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: IAR, PAP, state.gov
