Special Monthly Meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on March 19th, 2025

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz met with AmCham members in March to share his views on the Polish defense system modernization and the role American companies can play in it. The meeting, which drew a full house at the Warsaw Westin, was moderated by AmCham Chairwoman Marta Poślad from Google.

TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS

In his opening remarks, the deputy prime minister said that Poland-US relations have been developing for many years and are strong enough to continue for many years to come. "For me, it is an absolute priority to keep developing our transatlantic relations," he said.

According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, Europe is strong with the US on its side.  In turn, with its interests in Europe, the US maintains its position as a global superpower, a role that the US should not be inclined to give up. "Europe needs to boost its defense potential not to replace American troops in Europe but to maintain the transatlantic unity by being a feasible NATO force in Europe.

Kosiniak-Kamysz said that many political messages and opinions posted on social media platforms make their readers believe there is a crisis in EU-US relations. However, this is not reflected on the government-to-government level.

The speaker noted that some businesses require national recognition and protection. Among them are companies in the US, Europe and Poland. But this does not mean that all those countries will cease their relations.

A WAKE-UP CALL FOR EUROPE

Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that with his unique style and unscripted comments on defense expenditures in Europe, US President Donald Trump has helped European leaders initiate legislative changes to earmark bigger budgets for defense so their countries can take more responsibility for their security. Given that defense budgets have been neglected for many years in Europe, it is fair to say that it is a significant achievement of the Trump Presidency. "Ten years ago, at the NATO summit in Wales, all NATO members agreed to boost their defense budgets to two percent of their country's gross domestic product. Ten years later and a quarter of NATO countries still have not reached that goal," Kosiniak-Kamysz noted.

He added that the US Administration's critique of some EU countries' attitudes to defense is understood because the US spends on defense twice as much as Europe and Canada together.

The Trump administration's criticism of EU governments was a watershed moment for many EU leaders. "It was a wake-up call from the US. Had it not come from the US, it would certainly come from Russia sooner or later," Kosiniak-Kamysz said. "I prefer the former option," he added.

STRATEGIC COOPERATION

The speaker said that his priority is to develop the Poland-US cooperation in the defense industry. "It is an opportunity for Poland to showcase good US investment in Europe," he said.

He encouraged the American business community in Poland to seek investment opportunities, especially in the so-called strategic areas (defense and the army), for which the government is preparing a new set of regulations that cut the red tape associated with investment processes. Investors who plan to enter into joint ventures with Polish defense companies will obtain all necessary administrative permits in 90 days and will be eligible to tap into EU funds for development. "I talked about US investments in Poland's defense with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during his visit to Poland, so you are more than welcome," Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

AREAS OF INTEREST

Poland plans to continue its strategic partnership with the US defense sector and will continue to buy US defense equipment. Presently, Poland has the largest inventory of US defense equipment in Europe, including F35 fighters, M1 Abrams tanks, HIMARS sets, Apache helicopters, and other specialized gear.

Poland operates US-made drones and plans to develop drone technology, including aerial reconnaissance and combat, and maritime drone solutions.

Along with investing in defense hardware, Poland also plans to invest heavily in AI. "I'm convinced that AI will revolutionize warfare," said Kosiniak-Kamysz, adding that "Poland is one of the leaders in developing AI in NATO, and by investing in AI development, we intend to maintain that position".

The Polish army will use AI not only in relation to defense equipment but also to manage the logistics of its growing army, which is expected to reach 230,000 troops by the end of 2025.

Kosiniak-Kamysz concluded his address by thanking US companies in Poland for their significant input into the growth of the transatlantic economy, which in his view, is the best security guarantee for Europe.