Biden and Duda discussed military and economic security issues

NATO leaders hope to open a new chapter in transatlantic relations at a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday, agreeing to focus on tackling climate change for the first time as well as facing up China's military rise.

Described as a "pivotal moment" by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, the summit aims to turn the page on four tense years with Biden's predecessor Donald Trump, who shook confidence in the Western alliance by calling it "obsolete".

For the 30 allies meeting in Brussels, diplomats say nothing could be further from the truth, looking to the nuclear-armed alliance founded in 1949 to help deal with threats from extreme weather that can worsen conflicts to Russian attempts to undermine Western democracies through covert attacks.

Shortly before the summit at the NATO headquarters, Polish president spoke with Joe Biden. Presidential minister Krzysztof Szczerski later published a photo of the leaders. He informed that the discussion was held after an invitation by the American side and that it pertained to "Polish-U.S. cooperation aimed at ensuring military and economic security of out region".

Earlier on, Andrzej Duda spoke with UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, France's President Emmanuel Macron and the President of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau denied in an interview for "Rzeczpospolita" daily the two leaders would meet, because the Americans did not find time "for allies from the Eastern flank".

Poland's opposition points out that there have been no official talks between Biden and Duda since the former became president in January. Furthermore, they stress that the U.S. President will not visit Poland during his first tour to Europe.

Shortly before the last election Andrzej Duda went to Washington D.C. where he met with the then President Donal Trump. After Biden's victory in presidential election, Duda had waited weeks until he finally extended his congratulations for the 46th U.S. President.