Polish PM says transatlantic unity must survive difficult period

WARSAW, May 18 (Reuters) - Transatlantic unity ‌must survive the ​current ​difficult time, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday, as he stressed the importance of Warsaw's ties to Washington after the Pentagon ‌cancelled plans to deploy 4,000 U.S.-based troops to Poland.

Poland has long seen ⁠its ties with the United States as the cornerstone of its security in the face of ‌what it says is an increasingly ‌assertive Russia. The government has publicly sought to reassure citizens that the cancelled deployment does not mean the alliance is at risk.

"The task of all of ​us here in Poland, in Europe, across the Atlantic, in the U.S., in Canada, is to ensure that transatlantic cooperation, regardless of various political variables, survives ⁠this difficult period," Tusk told a news conference.

Poland has stressed its role as a model ally, and is ​NATO's biggest defence spender relative to the size of its economy. Warsaw plans to spend 4.8% of gross domestic product on defence ​in 2026.

Tusk was speaking at the signing of ‌an agreement with U.S. company Honeywell to establish an engine service centre for Abrams tanks, a deal he said exemplified the value ⁠of the transatlantic alliance.

"You have a friend here ... you have the most loyal ally," Tusk said, addressing the U.S. "It's worth remembering this, because America won't find a better ally anywhere."

Polish ⁠public confidence in the alliance with the U.S. has declined since Donald Trump came to power. An ​SW Research poll for the Rzeczpospolita daily in January showed that 53% of Poles did not believe the U.S. was a reliable ally.

In April, Tusk told the Financial Times that Europe's "biggest, ‌most important question" is whether the United States is ready to be a loyal NATO partner in case of a Russian ‌attack.

Allies of Poland's Trump-endorsed nationalist President Karol Nawrocki criticised those comments, saying it was dangerous ⁠to cast doubt on the U.S. ‌commitment to Poland's security.

In ​September, Trump said the U.S. could increase its troop presence in Poland.

(Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk and Alan Charlish, editing by Gus Trompiz and ‌Nick Zieminski)

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