Obama lauds Polish democracy, defends Russia 'reset'

President Barack Obama lauded Poland on Saturday as a key US ally whose democracy and economic prosperity can serve as a model for neighbouring former Soviet republics such as Ukraine and Belarus.

On the second day of a trip to Warsaw, Obama also defended his "reset" of relations with Russia, a policy that has sometimes unnerved Poles wary of Moscow's resurgence and its efforts to roll back Western influence in former Soviet states.

"Poland is one of our best and strongest allies ... I want to thank Poland for the democratic leadership in the region through its example," Obama said in televised comments during a conversation with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski.

"Countries such as Ukraine make use of the Polish example," he said, speaking in a hall of the presidential palace where the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact was born in 1955 and where Round Table talks took place in 1989 that ended Poland's communist regime.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich was among 20 regional heads of state to join Obama on Friday evening for talks on how to promote democracy in Europe and in the Arab world.

Obama had sharp words for Belarus, whose courts have sentenced opposition politicians to lengthy jail terms in recent days. He and Poland have both urged President Alexander Lukashenko to free them all and show respect for human rights.

"A country like Belarus is backsliding ... The kind of repressive actions we're seeing in Belarus can end up having a negative impact over the region as a whole and that makes us less safe and makes us less secure," Obama said.

Some central Europeans worry that Washington, distracted by China's rise and by the "war on terror", is neglecting their security, not least because of its drive to "reset" relations with Russia, whose cooperation it needs on Iran and Afghanistan.

Obama has sought to soothe such worries by unveiling a new missile defence strategy after scrapping George W Bush's plans for a shield in Poland and the Czech Republic and by reaffirming the principle of mutual defence as the cornerstone of NATO.

Obama has invited Russia to take part in his missile defence plans for Europe but Moscow is seeking a bigger say in the development of them, stirring unease among Poles and others.

"I am very proud of the reset process ... We believe missile defence is something where we can cooperate with Russia ... This will not be a threat to the strategic balance," Obama said.

Obama's missile defence plans envisage the deployment of SM-3 interceptors in Poland from 2018.

Poland has tried to mend its own long-chilly ties with Russia, mirroring Obama's own "reset", but disagrees with Moscow over NATO enlargement and other issues such as Warsaw's desire to host permanent US military bases on its soil.

Obama and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk were expected to finalise a deal on Saturday to establish a US aerial detachment in Poland from 2013 that would help to train Polish pilots in use of F-16 warplanes and C-130 transport planes.

Obama will also propose an easing of the visa regime for Poles travelling to the United States, a senior Polish diplomat told Reuters, removing a major irritant in ties. He will need the support of Congress to implement any change.

Relaxing the visa requirement would improve Polish perceptions of the United States and could help Tusk's centre-right government before October elections.

As well as holding talks with Komorowski and Tusk, Obama met opposition politicians and figures from Poland's democratic transition on Saturday at the presidential palace.