Poland ready to allocate up to $2 billion for permanent US military base

Poland is willing to contribute $2 billion to the establishment of a permanent U.S. military base on its soil, according to an official document.

The Polish Ministry of Defense confirmed the authenticity of the document, titled "Proposal for a Permanent U.S. Presence in Poland," after it was published online and first reported on by news outlet Onet.pl.

The document requests that the U.S. permanently station an armored division in Poland. It is not secret and has been sent to, among others, Congress, think tanks, and government institutions in the U.S..

"The Government of Poland is ready to allocate considerable resources, ranging from 1.5 to 2 billion dollars, as it is important to share the burden of defence expenses," the document said.

It goes on to cite the threat of Russia as justification for a permanent U.S. military presence in Poland.

Opposition politicians criticized the proposal, with former Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak saying "this kind of diplomacy" was "an expression of helplessness" and weakened Poland's bargaining position.

U.S. troops have been stationed in Poland since 2017 as part of the Enhanced Forward Presence, a NATO defense initiative in Eastern Europe.