Poland says Pentagon supports permanent US base, with decision expected in December

WARSAW — A White House decision on establishing a permanent US military base in Poland could come as early as next month, the country’s defense minister said following discussions with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon.

In a statement released after Tuesday’s meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said Hegseth indicated “everything is going in a good direction” when asked about the status of the proposal. Kosiniak-Kamysz characterized the response as a “green light” from the Pentagon for a permanent US troop presence, while acknowledging that the final decision rests with the White House.

That decision is expected in early December, he said.

“The permanent presence of US troops in Poland is our absolute priority and we will not abandon this matter,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

“This is likely my most important and ground-breaking visit to the US,” he added. “I can confidently say that Poland is not only a model ally of the United States, but [has also become] its strategic partner.”

A Pentagon readout of the Tuesday meeting said Hegseth recognized Poland’s leadership in NATO as European allies assume greater responsibility for their conventional defense. The two officials also signed a Statement of Intent to strengthen bilateral defense industrial cooperation, building on Poland’s increased defense spending and expanding role in the US industrial base.

“Whether it’s committing to nearly 5 percent of [gross domestic product] to defense and translating that investment into ready forces and sustained combat power, Poland is building one of the most formidable armies in Europe, ready to secure and defend its territory,” Hegseth said in a statement.

The Defense Department did not respond to Breaking Defense’s request for comment by the time of publication.

Warsaw has identified four potential locations for the base: Bydgoszcz, Poznań, Szczecin and Wrocław. The cities are all west of the Vistula River, which Kosiniak-Kamysz said aligns with US preferences.

Each location already has Polish, US or NATO military infrastructure, including NATO command facilities in Bydgoszcz and Szczecin and the US Army’s forward headquarters in Poznań. Wrocław is located near major military training grounds at Żagań and Świętoszów and has access to the A4 motorway and airport infrastructure designed to support military airlift operations.

The proposed installation would need to accommodate as many as 25,000 people, including approximately 5,000 US troops, their families and accompanying support personnel, Kosiniak-Kamysz told Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita on Tuesday. Poland has offered to cover the infrastructure costs, which Kosiniak-Kamysz estimated in September at between 15 billion and 17 billion zlotys ($3.8 billion to $4.4 billion).

“We are ready. We have prepared the sites, and we are prepared to construct the necessary infrastructure and secure the required funding,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

Kosiniak-Kamysz has argued that a permanent US presence would strengthen Poland’s security and position on NATO’s eastern flank, while also allowing Polish forces to assume a greater share of responsibility for regional security.

The discussions come as the Trump administration pushes for a rebalancing of NATO under its “NATO 3.0” concept, which envisions European allies taking primary responsibility for the continent’s conventional defense while the US shifts focus to other regions.

Kosiniak-Kamysz has previously said the shift could involve deeper transatlantic defense industrial cooperation. In October, he called for US companies to relocate production lines and maintenance facilities to Europe — including for Patriot missile systems — and pursue joint ventures with European manufacturers.

Tuesday’s discussions also touched on Poland’s request to purchase Tomahawk cruise missiles and associated launchers, Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters after the meeting. After submitting the request “several months ago,” he said the Pentagon had issued a “positive recommendation” on the proposed sale, but that the final decision rests with Congress.

Further, the US Defense Department announced in October that Poland had been selected to host the first Patriot PAC-3 missile maintenance facility outside the United States, a move intended to strengthen missile sustainment capabilities in Europe and deepen bilateral defense industrial cooperation.

Speaking on Monday at the Transatlantic Defense Industry Access Forum in Warsaw, Polish Secretary of State in the Ministry of National Defence Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said it was time for the countries’ longstanding defense industrial relationship to expand.

“I think that the decision from two weeks ago to place the first Patriot PAC-3 missiles service center in the world outside the US on Polish territory is terrific evidence of a new chapter in the trade relationship between the United States and Poland,” Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said.

Ashley Roque contributed to this report.