Poland seeks permanent US base with up to 15,000 troops

Poland could eventually host up to 15,000 US troops as Warsaw seeks a permanent American military base, Deputy Defense Minister Stanislaw Wziatek said Monday, according to Polish public broadcaster TVP.

Wziatek noted that this total could include 4,000 to 5,000 permanently stationed US troops alongside an additional 10,000 to 11,000 personnel deployed on a rotational basis.

"Fifteen thousand American soldiers in Poland means strength, defensive capabilities for our country, and allied cooperation," he said.

He added that he was "very cautious" about providing further details, noting that "it's not only Poles who are listening to us."

Wziatek indicated that the deployment could be built up in stages, with the full force potentially reached before 2039.

The comments follow statements from US President Donald Trump last week, who remarked that "major progress" was being made toward establishing a new US Army base in Poland, describing it as a potential "historic step" in bilateral ties. However, Trump did not specify whether the proposed base would host permanently stationed troops.

Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz is scheduled to meet US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington on Wednesday for talks focusing on Poland's security and a permanent US military presence. Kosiniak-Kamysz stated last week that a decision on the proposed base is expected "in the coming weeks."

A US delegation visited Poland earlier this month to review potential locations for the base. Wziątek said the facility would likely be situated in western Poland, adding that such a location would make it "harder to attack."

"The Americans will have the final say on the location," he noted.

Poland formally proposed establishing a permanent US base in June, building upon the roughly 10,000 US troops currently stationed in the country, most of whom operate under rotational arrangements.