WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump says Washington and Warsaw are making “major progress” toward establishing a permanent US Army base in Poland, potentially expanding the American military presence on NATO’s eastern flank.
“Thanks to the bold leadership of my friend, Karol Nawrocki, President of Poland, major progress is being made toward establishing a US Army base in Poland,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on September 17. “If this happens, the location will be announced very soon. This will be a historic step for our Great US/Polish Alliance.”
Nawrocki welcomed the announcement, saying Poland was ready to continue efforts to strengthen defense cooperation with Washington.
“I can assure you that the Polish government will do its utmost to provide the best possible location for the US Army base,” Nawrocki said in a post on X.
The announcement came on the 87th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland. Zbigniew Bogucki, head of the Polish president’s chancellery, called the development “great news for Poland.”
Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Zalewski said in August that Warsaw and Washington had already completed an initial stage of discussions on a possible permanent US military presence in Poland.
Polish and US officials held further talks in Warsaw on September 10 on strengthening the US military presence, with additional consultations and working groups planned.
The United States already has troops stationed in Poland, but they have largely been deployed on a rotational basis. Warsaw has reportedly been seeking a larger allied presence on NATO’s eastern flank since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
US Force Posture Review
The discussions over a possible permanent base come as the Pentagon conducts a broader review of the US military presence in Europe.
The review has prompted concern among some lawmakers that diplomatic considerations could receive insufficient attention.
In a letter led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Senate Democrat on foreign policy, eight Democratic senators urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to ensure that the State Department is fully involved in the review.
The lawmakers said decisions involving troop deployments, basing arrangements, status-of-forces agreements, and host-nation negotiations should be handled through an interagency process that takes both military and diplomatic considerations into account.
They also said US ambassadors and chiefs of mission in countries potentially affected by changes in troop deployments had not been adequately included in consultations.
The State Department has disputed the characterization that its officials have been excluded from the process.
A senior Western official familiar with the discussions told RFE/RL that the possible base in Poland is being considered as part of the broader US force-posture review. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the review could involve changes to the deployment of US forces elsewhere in Europe, including Germany.
Trump also spoke by phone with Chancellor Merz on September 17 about “next steps” toward ending the war in Ukraine, according to German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius.
Security Concerns
The discussions come as Poland faces heightened security concerns linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Polish authorities temporarily closed airports in Lublin and Rzeszow on September 17 as Russian strikes targeted parts of Ukraine, according to Polish officials.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has also warned that Russia could seek to conduct drone or missile attacks against NATO countries supporting Ukraine while presenting them as accidents. He said such incidents could be intended to test NATO’s response and undermine allied unity. The assessment was based on intelligence from NATO, Ukraine, and the United States, according to Tusk.
On NATO’s Doorstep: The Checkpoints Being Targeted Along Ukraine’s Borders
A Russian drone strike near Ukraine’s border with Poland on September 13 marks the latest in a number of attacks on Ukraine’s western border checkpoints in recent days.
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A Russian drone strike near Ukraine’s border with Poland on September 13 marks the latest in a number of attacks on Ukraine’s western border checkpoints in recent days.
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A Russian drone strike near Ukraine’s border with Poland on September 13 marks the latest in a number of attacks on Ukraine’s western border checkpoints in recent days.
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A Russian drone strike near Ukraine’s border with Poland on September 13 marks the latest in a number of attacks on Ukraine’s western border checkpoints in recent days.
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A Russian drone strike near Ukraine’s border with Poland on September 13 marks the latest in a number of attacks on Ukraine’s western border checkpoints in recent days.
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A Russian drone strike near Ukraine’s border with Poland on September 13 marks the latest in a number of attacks on Ukraine’s western border checkpoints in recent days.
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Shaheen has separately warned of increased Russian use of hybrid tactics, including drones, cyberattacks, and sabotage.
“Hybrid warfare has been going on for some time, and we’re seeing an increase now,” Shaheen told RFE/RL.
The German government has also warned about the broader security situation in Europe.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz said recently the coming weeks and months could be a particularly important period for defending peace and freedom in Europe.
Poland’s Military Role
Poland has sought a larger US military presence for years, arguing that its geographic position makes it an important part of NATO’s eastern defenses.
In June, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said the US Defense Department was open to Poland’s offer to host a permanent US military presence but that no final decision had been made.
He made the comments after meeting US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Brussels, where Hegseth announced the review of US troop deployments in Europe.
The possible base would represent a change from the predominantly rotational US troop presence currently maintained in Poland.
The US and Poland have also expanded defense cooperation through infrastructure and military agreements, while Warsaw has increased its defense spending. Poland’s Defense Ministry said the latest US-Polish talks are being conducted under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement signed in 2020.
For now, Trump has said the location of the proposed army base could be announced soon. No final location or timetable has been publicly announced.
