President George W. Bush said on Monday he had agreed the United States would help modernise the Polish military as part of a US plan to base components of a global missile defence shield in Poland.
Bush's announcement, after White House talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, appeared to mark a major step toward meeting Poland's demand that Washington boost military aid in exchange for allowing the basing of 10 missile interceptors in Poland.
The two leaders hailed their meeting as a success but made clear that no final deal had been reached on the anti-missile system, something US and Polish officials have said could still take months more.
"The United States recognises the need for Polish forces to be modernised," Bush told reporters. He said "before my watch is over" - he leaves office in January 2009 - US experts would have assessed those needs. Bush again played down Moscow's concerns about the missile shield, saying, "This system is not aimed at Russia. I will continue to work with President (Vladimir) Putin and give him those assurances as well."
Tusk, sitting with Bush in the Oval Office after Monday's talks, said Poland was ready to cooperate on missile defence as part of an overall security effort that would include upgrading Polish forces. "All these issues come in the same package," he told reporters. He deemed it a "breakthrough" that Bush and the US government now "understand quite clearly our expectations."