WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is headed back to Europe hoping to receive a friendly welcome in Poland despite lingering skepticism across the continent over his commitment to NATO, his past praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his decision to pull the U.S. out of a major climate agreement.
Trump arrives in Warsaw, Poland, later Wednesday for a brief visit that will include a speech in Krasinski Square, near the site of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis. He'll also meet with the leaders of Poland and Croatia and hold a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Duda told Poland's TVN24 Wednesday that his talks with Trump will not be "some general talk about world security" but will tackle concrete issues like energy security for a region still dependent on gas and oil deliveries from Russia.
Before moving on to an international summit in Germany, the president will also hold meetings with the leaders of a dozen countries located between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black seas at a summit of the Three Seas Initiative, which aims to expand and modernize energy and trade. One of the initiative's goals is to make the region less dependent on Russian energy.
"Even if he doesn't mention Putin or Russia outright, just stepping foot in Poland sends a powerful statement," said Jim Carafano, a foreign policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. "Europe is working for energy independence — looking for free market solutions — and Poland is in the middle of that energy corridor, so it makes so much sense that the president would go there and talk about energy policy."
At the same time, Trump will have to balance his visit to Europe with escalating tensions with North Korea, after the U.S. concluded Tuesday that North Korea had test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile. The U.S., South Korea and Japan responded to the provocation by requesting an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council, scheduled Wednesday afternoon.
Asked what he would do about North Korea, Trump responded just before taking flight: "We're going to do very well."
He also tweeted his frustration with China for its continued trade with North Korea, writing, "So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!"
Trump is scheduled to hold talks with China's President Xi Jinping while in Germany for the G20 summit later this week.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.