Vice Presidential Pool Reports of April 11, 2023

Pool has gathered in the VP's ceremonial office, where VP Harris is about to deliver remarks alongside Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (mah-TAY-oosh mor-ah-VYET-skee) of Poland.

Sharing background from the WH below:

On background from a White House Official:

• The Vice President will meet with Prime Minister Morawiecki of Poland on April 11. They will discuss European security, Russia's war in Ukraine, energy security, and other global and regional issues.
• On Russia and Ukraine, they will consult on next steps in our collective response to Russia's aggression, and the Vice President will thank Poland for its continued leadership in supporting the people of Ukraine, imposing costs on Russia, and defending international rules and norms.
• They will also discuss Poland's civil nuclear power program, following the October 2022 announcement by the Prime Minister that Poland selected Westinghouse as the technology partner for the construction of three nuclear reactors.
  
  • This announcement was the culmination of efforts by the Vice President and other U.S. officials who engaged directly with the Prime Minister on this particular project, in recognition of its importance for the U.S.-Polish strategic partnership, and the benefits to the American people. The Vice President warmly welcomed Poland's announcement and looks forward to further cooperation on energy security and the climate crisis.
  • As NATO Allies, the United States and Poland already cooperate closely on a range of security and defense issues. The United States is proud to further expand our energy security partnership through this new venture.
• Our Administration has repeatedly demonstrated that our Alliances and partnerships deliver for the American people, and this is a prime example. Throughout her foreign travel and her diplomatic engagements, the Vice President regularly advocates for American workers and American businesses, and her successful advocacy on this specific project will create thousands of American jobs, help address the climate crisis, and strengthen European energy security, which remains a priority for our Administration.

U.S. Delegation:

- The Vice President

- Lorraine Voles, Chief of Staff to the VP

- Philip Gordon, National Security Advisor to the VP

- Rebecca Lissner, Deputy National Security Advisor to the VP

- Dereck Hogan, Senior Bureau Official, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Department of State

- Robin Brooks, Special Advisor to the VP for Europe

- Melissa Hanlon, Director for Europe, National Security Council

Polish Delegation:

- Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Poland

- Excellency Marek Magierowski, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the United States

- Mateusz Berger, Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure

- Krzysztof Kubów, Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Head of the Political Office of the Prime Minister

- Piotr Müller, Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Government Spokesperson

- Izabela Antos, Undersecretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Deputy Head of the Chancellery

- Tomasz Matynia, Director of the Government Information Center

VP Supplemental Pool #2: Pool spray

VP Harris and PM Morawiecki entered the VP's ceremonial office at 2:35 pm and spoke for 10 minutes in front of American and Polish flags.

Morawiecki spoke in English, although about a dozen Polish reporters traveled with him to Washington. Behind the pool, the table was set for 14 (see previous pool report for the full delegation).

VP Harris remarks:

• VP welcomed Morawiecki and noted, "This is our fourth substantive discussion over the course of the last couple of years." They previously met in Warsaw on March 10, 2022, and spoke by phone on Sept. 4, 2022. POTUS has twice traveled to Poland since VP's visit, which she said, "demonstrated to the world the strength of our alliance in the face of Russian aggression."
• She noted that she met in Poland with Polish and American troops who are working together "to defend NATO's eastern flank" and met with "refugees who are in Poland thanks to the gracious welcome that they have received by the Polish people."
• She noted that she spoke with Morawiecki in September about European energy security.
• She noted that SGOTUS traveled to Krakow to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day in January.
• "These visits, Mr. Prime Minister, and meetings, reaffirm the very strong alliance between the United States and Poland. And I might say that our strength of our relationship has only increased over the last couple of years, to the great pleasure of the American people. Poland is a valued ally, a partner and a friend, and we have an enduring relationship based on shared priorities and democratic values."

PM Morawiecki remarks:

• "It is said that in politics there are no friendships, only interests, but I think that there is more than only interests between the United States and Poland. Warsaw and Washington are two poles of Western civilization."
• "There are no nations that love freedom as much as Poles and Americans, and this unites us as well. And today, we stand together in defense of the freedom of the Ukrainian people."
• Some Americans may wonder, he said, why the war in Ukraine matters to them. "The answer is Russia's attack on Ukraine is only the beginning."
• The war's consequences have already reached both Americans and Poles, including "as we call it, 'Putinflation.'"
• "The resurgence of Russian imperialism is a harbinger of a new Cold War."
• "Putin will not stop in Ukraine. I'm absolutely sure about that."
• "Old Europe believed in an agreement with Russia, and old Europe failed. But there is a new Europe that remembers what Russian communism was, and Poland is the leader of this new Europe."
• "Poland wants to become a bedrock of European security and we are on the right track," he said, noting that Poland is increasing its defense spending to 4% of GDP. Poland is also buying Abrams tanks, F-35s and HIMARS rocket systems from the United States.
• "Poland wants to be the strongest army in Europe. That is why we want to cooperate with the most advanced defense industry in the world, which is America's."
• "Some European politicians, betrayed by the Russian bear, seek a deal with others, but this is a way of dividing with the West," he said, an apparent reference to recent remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron suggesting that European nations shouldn't be compelled to follow U.S. policy toward China.
• "The relations between Poland and the U.S. are the best in history, but no one says we have reached out peak. I believe that the war in Ukraine is not only the beginning of the end of Russian imperialism, but also the beginning of the renaissance of transatlantic relations."

After Morawiecki's remarks, VP Harris added that the United States' commitment to its allies is "ironclad," and that has resulted in more U.S. troops and a permanent Army headquarters in Poland. She added that their conversation would focus on energy security, "with the goal ... of reducing reliance on fossil fuels."

Pool was escorted out after the spray at 2:45 pm. Morawiecki didn't respond to questions reporters shouted in Polish on the way out. VP and PM went onto the balcony for photos as pool left EEOB.