US and Poland Consider Permanent Military Bases

Poland and the United States are actively considering the establishment of permanent American military bases on Polish territory, according to Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Zalewski, who is leading negotiations with Washington. The potential agreement would mark a significant shift in NATO’s European defense posture, as RTBF reported.

Approximately 10,000 US soldiers are currently stationed in Poland, almost exclusively on a rotation basis. Zalewski confirmed that Warsaw has been informed by Washington of the creation of an American team that will serve as Poland’s partner in the discussions.

A Strategic Pivot on NATO’s Eastern Flank

Poland has long sought a permanent US military presence as a deterrent against Russia, particularly since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The country plays a strategic role on NATO’s eastern flank and already devotes approximately 5% of its GDP to defense, making it one of the alliance’s top spenders. Poland is also modernizing its army with billions of euros in purchases, notably from the United States, including F-35 fighters and Patriot missile systems.

The country already hosts the forward headquarters of the US Army’s V Corps in Poznan, established after the NATO Madrid summit in 2022. Poland has also signed a 44 billion euro loan agreement with the European Union in May 2026 to accelerate military modernization.

“We have already passed the preliminary phase, without even mentioning the political will that has been expressed for a long time,” Zalewski said, adding that “we know that we will want to discuss several bases, a progressive transformation of current American bases into permanent bases.”

A Broader US Military Restructuring

The discussions come amid a sweeping review of US military presence in Europe. In early May 2026, the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 soldiers from Germany within a year, representing about 15% of the roughly 36,000 US troops stationed there, as RTBF reported. President Donald Trump later signaled he wanted to reduce the number further and raised the possibility of withdrawals from Italy and Spain.

On May 21, 2026, Trump announced on Truth Social the sending of 5,000 additional US soldiers to Poland, citing his relationship with Polish President Karol Nawrocki. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the announcement while noting that the alliance’s long-term trajectory remains to become less dependent on the United States, as RTBF detailed.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in May that there would be fewer American troops in Europe in the long term, telling allies at a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Sweden that the changes were “not a punitive measure” but “simply an ongoing process,” according to RTBF’s coverage.

Pentagon Review and NATO 3.0

At a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels on June 18, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a formal review of US military presence and bases in Europe, expected to last up to six months. Hegseth stated that “Europe can and must take primary responsibility for its conventional defense, as promised at the summit in The Hague,” and warned that US contributions to NATO’s budget would be tied to allies meeting defense spending targets, as WP.pl reported.

The review reflects the “NATO 3.0” concept that Washington has been pushing, in which Europe assumes greater responsibility for conventional defense against Russia. Zalewski described Poland as “the leader in this process,” while also emphasizing the importance of convincing Americans to stay and maintain their military capabilities in Europe, as he told Rzeczpospolita.

In his May 4 interview with RMF FM, Zalewski confirmed that talks with the Pentagon were focused on increasing American capabilities in Poland and on the eastern flank, while noting that the decision regarding soldiers being withdrawn from Germany was an American one, as Onet.pl reported.

From Declaration to Negotiation

The Polish government has moved rapidly from political declarations to concrete steps. In June 2026, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that the Pentagon was open to Poland’s offer for permanent stationing of US forces on its territory. In July, the Polish government adopted a resolution formally opening talks with the US about the location, infrastructure, costs, and financing of a permanent base.

Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk announced in mid-July that a negotiating team would be established at the Ministry of National Defense, with two most likely locations identified: Greater Poland (Wielkopolska) and Lower Silesia (Dolny Slask), as WNP.pl detailed.

“Remember that when it comes to the process of starting permanent American stationing, it will be a process spread over years,” Tomczyk said. “However, in the coming days a negotiating team will be established at the Ministry of National Defense.”

Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki said the final decision could come in autumn 2026, with the base most likely located in western Poland. Poland would bear the costs of building the base complex, which would require 2-3 years of construction if approved, as Spider’s Web reported.

A New Chapter in US-Poland Relations

The push for permanent US bases builds on a long history of Polish efforts to anchor American military presence in the country. In 2020, Trump announced the withdrawal of 9,500 US soldiers from Germany with some planned to go to Poland, but those plans were never realized. Poland has consistently sought permanent US bases since the 2018 “Fort Trump” proposal during the first Trump administration.

Poland’s position has been strengthened by its role as the largest beneficiary of the US Foreign Military Financing program, utilizing $15 billion of the $16 billion offered by the US government, as documented by the Polish Ministry of National Defense.

The potential agreement comes at a moment of significant tension within the transatlantic alliance. Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned in May that “the greatest threat to the transatlantic community is not its external enemies, but the ongoing disintegration of our alliance,” urging that “we must do everything necessary to reverse this catastrophic trend.”

The US had also severely criticized European countries that refused to allow US forces to use NATO bases on their territory during the war against Iran, contributing to Washington’s frustration with some allies.

What to Watch For

As the Pentagon’s six-month review of its European posture continues, several key questions remain. The final decision on a permanent US base in Poland could come as early as autumn 2026, according to Bosacki. The location - whether in Greater Poland or Lower Silesia - will depend on negotiations over infrastructure, costs, and strategic considerations.

The broader implications extend beyond Poland. If approved, a permanent US base in Poland would represent a fundamental reconfiguration of NATO’s defense architecture, moving American military infrastructure closer to Russia’s border while Washington simultaneously reduces its overall footprint in Western Europe. As Gazeta Prawna noted, Poland is entering a decisive phase of negotiations that could permanently change the balance of power in the region.

For now, the negotiations signal a new chapter in US-Poland relations - one in which Warsaw positions itself not merely as a recipient of American security guarantees, but as a strategic partner willing to invest heavily in anchoring US military power on NATO’s eastern flank.