WASHINGTON, May 5, 2017 — In a phone call today, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis thanked Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz for his country’s initiative to spend two percent of its gross domestic product on defense, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said in a statement.

Mattis expressed his appreciation for Poland meeting the September 2014 NATO Wales Summit defense spending pledge, and he emphasized the United States' steadfast commitment to the NATO alliance, White said.

Macierewicz shared his appreciation for the deployment of U.S. forces to Poland, White added.

The two leaders confirmed that they will remain in close contact while in pursuit of strengthening NATO's deterrence against aggression, White said.

Poland joined NATO on March 12, 1999.