US Secretary of State John Kerry took a brief European detour from his 11-day visit to the Middle East and North Africa to meet with Polish allies in Warsaw.

Kerry is in town to shore up Polish support in the upcoming transatlantic trade talks with Europe on November 11.

Kerry insisted the recent spy scandal will not influence the negotiations: “The Transatlantic Trade Partnership is separate and different from any other issue that people may have on their mind. It is about jobs, it’s about the economy, it’s about economic competition in a global community that competes, sometimes by rules that are very questionable and shaky.”

Poland has close military ties with Washington with an US Air Force contingent based in the country.

Poland is also the site where the radar components of the planned US air-defence system will be deployed.

Kerry was due to fly to Israel later on Tuesday.