- Andrzej Duda became the latest world leader to renew acquaintances with the former president as November's election looms
- Duda arrived as Republicans threaten to derail plans for more US aid to Ukraine
- 'We had four great years together,' Trump said, 'We may have to do it again'
The president of Poland became the latest foreign leader to beat a path to Donald Trump's door last night as the world prepares for his possible return to the White House.
Andrzej Duda was greeted as an old friend as he arrived at Trump Tower, where the former president is staying as his criminal trial over alleged hush money payments gets underway in New York.
The two men are long-time allies but Duda was keen to win his support for more military help to Ukraine amid continued Republican hostility to a new aid package.
'This gentleman is doing a fantastic job, the people of Poland love him, they really do,' Trump told reporters as the pair walked in.
'We had four great years together. We may have to do it again.'
'We had four great years together. We may have to do it again' Donald Trump said as he welcomed Polish president Andrzej Duda to Trump Tower
Duda was one of Trump's strongest European allies during his time in the White House. They are pictured in 2019 together
The planned dinner meeting comes as European leaders prepare for the possibility that Trump might win the November election and return to the White House, according to AP.
Duda was at the White House just last month to press the case for more arms for Ukraine, which shares a 330-mile border with his country.
But Trump has yet to back the latest attempt by House Speaker Mike Johnson to send $61 billion to Ukraine, including a $7.9 billion loan.
And the former president horrified world leaders in February when he told a rally he would 'encourage' Russia to 'do whatever the hell they want' to Nato members who do not contribute their share to the alliance's budget – repeating the threat days later.
He has praised Russia's invasion of Ukraine as 'smart' and 'savvy', boasting he could bring the long-running war to an end 'within 24 hours'.
The ex-president has long railed at Nato members who fail to meet the treaty requirement to spend two percent of national income on defense.
But with the war raging on their doorstep Poland's expenditure currently amounts to four percent and Duda has echoed Trump's calls for others to contribute more.
'In the face of the war in Ukraine and Russia's growing imperial aspirations, the countries making up NATO must act boldly and uncompromisingly,' he said on his visit to the White House last month.
'The war in Ukraine has clearly shown that the United States is and should remain the leader in security issues in Europe and the world.
'However, other NATO countries must also take greater responsibility for the security of the entire alliance and intensively modernize and strengthen their troops.'
With the Republican nomination all but wrapped up and a narrow edge over Joe Biden in the polls the former president has had a string of meetings with foreign leaders.
He has spoken to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had dinner with UK foreign secretary David Cameron and enjoyed one-on-ones with Argentine President Javier Milei and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Duda was elected Poland's president in 2015 for the populist Law and Justice Party and has long praised his former White House colleague, once proposing that a Polish military base be renamed 'Fort Trump'.
British foreign minister David Cameron, who once described Donald Trump as 'xenophobic, misogynistic and stupid' made the trip to Mar-A-Lago last month
The former president has been renewing acquaintances with other foreign leaders including Hungary's far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban who he met in March
Argentina's newly elected populist president Javier Milei also called at Mar-A-Lago in February
He is officially in New York for a meeting of the United Nations but his cozy dinner with Trump has alarmed opponents back home who fear it may damage Poland's standing with the current White House.
Poland's newly-elected centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he hoped Duda would use his visit 'to raise the issue of clearly siding with the Western world, democracy and Europe in this Ukrainian-Russian conflict'.
Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza said the visit would be 'harmful and dangerous' and be seen as a 'slap in the face' by the Biden administration.
But Duda's former foreign minister Paweł Jabłoński said it was prudent to meet the man who may determine the world's fate after the November general election.
'We need to talk to both sides of the political scene, especially since Donald Trump has a good chance of winning and these relations must be maintained,' he insisted.
'International politics is about having relationships with everyone and having them as good as possible.'
