Trump: US eager to expand partnership with Poland 7:33 AM ET Thu, 6 July 2017 | 04:21

President Donald Trump on Thursday pitched U.S. energy exports to Europe as an alternative to supplies from Russia, a nation he suggested had held the region hostage in the past.

Trump made the comments in Warsaw, Poland, where he attended a meeting of the Three Seas Initiative, an effort by 12 Central and Eastern European nations to increase trade, infrastructure and energy ties.

"Let me be clear about one crucial point. The United States will never use energy to coerce your nations, and we cannot allow others to do so," Trump said at a press conference flanked by European leaders. "You don't want to have a monopoly or a monopolistic situation."

Trump did not name Russia directly, but his message was clear to the assembled leaders.