U.S. Senator Steve Daines recently engaged in discussions with two nominees from President Donald Trump’s administration—Mr. Thomas Rose, nominated to be Ambassador to Poland, and Mr. William White, nominated for the role of Ambassador to Belgium.
During the conversation, Daines highlighted the significance of strengthening the United States’ ties with both countries, emphasizing the urgency for increased investments in defense and energy security.
Focusing on Poland’s defense capabilities, Daines noted:
“Poland has long been one of the U.S.’s closest defense partners in Europe. The Poles have no illusions about the threat environment. They are clear-eyed. They’ve made significant investments in energy security as well as defensive capability. The country already spends over 4 percent of GDP on defense and has committed now to the new benchmark of 5 percent.”
Daines went on to praise the U.S. permanent troop presence in Poland, acknowledging that this arrangement is supported by the Polish government.
He asked Rose how, if confirmed, he would promote Poland’s national security strategy to align more closely with U.S. strategies. Rose confidently responded, “Poland’s not going to take much convincing. Poland is there. Poland is our strongest ally in Europe.”
Shifting the focus to energy, Daines expressed the crucial connection between energy security and national security, a sentiment underscored by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He inquired about the best methods for the United States to support Poland in its transition away from Russian energy sources, ensuring stability in both pricing and supply.
In response, Rose pointed out, “Poland is investing billions of dollars to develop an entirely new off-take facility for American-exported liquid natural gas, an LNG facility. Poland’s just an absolutely terrific and essential partner and ally of this country.”
Daines then directed his attention to Belgium and its defense spending initiatives. He highlighted Belgium’s historical underinvestment in defense before discussing how recent changes in government have prompted a positive shift in this area.
“I’m really pleased to see, as we discussed in the office, they recently signed the 5 percent spending pledge on defense. Furthermore, I just announced a major purpose of a purpose of F-35 near-defense systems. This is much-needed and very welcome. So good news on that front,”
Daines remarked.
He sought insight from White regarding how the U.S. could best support Belgium as the country moves to enhance its defense capabilities with the new investments.
White elaborated on the spending breakdown, stating, “The 5 percent really, for everybody to know, is folks who don’t understand, this is 1.5 percent for infrastructure, 3.5 percent for defense spending.”
He welcomed the recent announcement from Prime Minister Bart De Wever regarding the F-35 purchase, expressing optimism about the collaborative efforts that will follow.
“The three of us there will be working very hard to get Belgium up to that number,” White said, referring to his future partnerships in Europe.
The discussions underscored the commitment of the U.S. leaders to bolster international alliances, defense capabilities, and energy security in key European nations.
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