Poland expects a permanent U.S. military base to be established in the west of the country, while the total number of U.S. troops is planned to be increased to approximately 15,000. Poland’s Deputy Minister of National Defence Stanisław Wziątek said this on RMF24, reports UNN.
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According to him, the United States will continue analysing its military presence in Europe for another 2–3 months. After that, Warsaw expects a decision on establishing a permanent base and determining its location.
Wziątek noted that the base is planned to be located in western Poland. According to him, such a location would facilitate logistics and make the military facility more difficult for a potential attack. The final decision on its location will be made by the American side.
Poland wants 15,000 American troops
At present, around 6,500–7,000 U.S. service members are stationed in Poland. In the future, Warsaw expects to increase the total number of permanent and rotational American troops to approximately 15,000.
The Polish side would also like to strengthen the country’s defence with American aviation squadrons. A special law is planned to prepare for the future base, along with separate funding.
According to preliminary estimates, creating the necessary infrastructure will cost Poland more than 15 billion zlotys. The final amount will depend, among other things, on the level of financial participation by the United States and Polish local-government authorities.