WARSAW, April 1 (Xinhua) -- "There is no NATO without the United States, but there is also no American power without NATO," Polish Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Wednesday.
Asked about remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump that America may leave NATO, Kosiniak-Kamysz, who is also Poland's defense minister, said: "We must strive to preserve this alliance because it is the guarantee of our security."
He also affirmed that Poland's Patriot air defense systems will remain in the country, responding to reports that the Americans were exploring the possibility of Poland sending this equipment to the Middle East.
Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that the role of Poland's Patriots is to defend the country's airspace and NATO's eastern flank.
At the same time, Europe must rapidly develop its own defense capabilities, particularly through the European Union's (EU's) SAFE program, he emphasized.
Trump said in an interview published on Wednesday by British newspaper The Telegraph that he is seriously considering withdrawing the United States from NATO, describing the alliance as a "paper tiger."
Kosiniak-Kamysz, meanwhile, emphasized that Poland should continue to build transatlantic relations and strengthen security in the EU and Europe, "while also withstanding the emotional tensions linked to the statements." ■
