Trump: Russia Should Cease Destabilizing Activities in Ukraine and Support for Syria and Iran

The President of the United States on Thursday, July 6, urged Russia to cease "destabilizing activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, as well as support for hostile regimes including Syria and Iran." Donald Trump, speaking at the historic "Krasinski Square" in Warsaw, added, "Russia should join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defense of our civilization." A Kremlin spokesperson responded to the U.S. President's criticisms on Thursday, stating that Moscow disagrees with Trump's remarks regarding destabilizing actions. Trump also called on America's European allies in NATO to join Washington in defending the West against "radical Islamic terrorism" and "any form of ideological support for terrorists." The U.S. President emphasized Washington's practical commitment to NATO's Article Five while stating that NATO members must fulfill their financial obligations to the alliance. He mentioned Poland as one of the few NATO members that has met its commitments. Trump, who traveled to Warsaw before attending the G20 summit, emphasized Washington's commitment "to establishing peace and security in Central Europe" and announced that "we will work with Poland to respond to Russia's destabilizing actions." He reiterated Washington's commitment to NATO, stating, "Our strong alliance with NATO and Poland is crucial to preventing conflicts and ensures that war between great powers will never destroy Europe, making the world a safer and better place." According to Reuters, Andrzej Duda also stated that the U.S. is serious about Poland's security. The U.S. President arrived in Warsaw on Thursday to meet with leaders from Poland and to participate in a summit of Eastern and Central European countries. According to the White House, Trump will encourage leaders from Central and Eastern Europe to reduce their dependence on Russian energy and utilize available U.S. natural gas resources. Reuters reported that Witold Waszczykowski, Poland's Foreign Minister, announced on Thursday that a tanker carrying U.S. natural gas had entered Polish waters, adding that it depends on the U.S. whether to export more natural gas to Poland. Warsaw had previously stated it does not intend to extend its gas purchase contract with Russia, which ends in 2022 with the Russian company Gazprom. According to Reuters, Warsaw hopes that Trump's visit will pave the way for increased gas exports from the U.S. to Poland. In this context, the Polish President expressed hope in a conversation with the state radio that a long-term contract between Poland and an American company for natural gas imports would be signed. Meanwhile, Poland's Defense Minister announced on Thursday that the country had signed a memorandum for purchasing Patriot defense systems from the U.S. He stated that the Patriot defense system to be delivered to Poland is considered the most modern type of this system. Poland announced in March that it expects to sign a $7.6 billion contract with the U.S. by the end of this year for the purchase of eight Patriot defense systems.