Trump Hails 'Major Progress' in Setting Up US Base in Poland
Trump says the location of a permanent US military base in Poland could be announced soon, while praising Polish President Karol Nawrocki.
On September 18, US President Donald Trump announced that there had been "major progress" in establishing a US Army base in Poland. This came after Poland's President, Karol Nawrocki, mentioned that talks were underway with Washington on the matter. Trump credited Nawrocki's "bold leadership" for the progress, stating that an announcement of the location would follow soon. The move is seen as a significant step in strengthening the "Great US/Polish Alliance."
However, Trump's announcement coincides with a formal review of the United States' military presence in Europe, which has raised concerns among allies about potential reductions in their forces. Poland, located on NATO's eastern flank, shares borders with Ukraine and Russia, and spends about five percent of its GDP on defense. The Polish government is actively working to bolster the US military presence on its soil, with President Nawrocki assuring that the country will provide the optimal location for the base.
Nawrocki, a conservative ally of Trump, visited the White House last year and President Trump had even offered to send more US troops to Poland. Poland's Deputy Defence Minister, Pawel Zalewski, revealed in August that discussions were already underway with the United States regarding the potential establishment of a permanent US base on Polish territory, emphasizing the country's political will in pursuing this goal. Currently, approximately 10,000 US soldiers are stationed in Poland, primarily on a rotational basis.
The US has criticized several European countries for refusing to allow US forces to utilize NATO bases on their soil during their conflict with Iran. In response, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened to reduce the US contribution to NATO's budget if certain states failed to meet their commitments at the NATO summit in The Hague in 2022. NATO allies had pledged to spend at least five percent of their GDP on security, with 3.5 percent specifically allocated to military expenditures by 2035.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
