Recently, Poland has been seeking to expand the size of its military presence by U.S. troops, in order to ensure U.S. military presence in Eastern Europe. According to a report by Bloomberg on September 23, Polish President Karol Nawrocki said in a media interview that he hopes the U.S. can finalize plans to establish a permanent military base in Poland. Poland is prepared to name the base "Fort Trump".
Nafrozyk, during the intervals of the United Nations General Assembly, stated that Poland is facing the threat of a so-called "hybrid war": "On one hand, Russian provocations are reshaping the battlefield landscape; on the other hand, they are also testing the resilience of NATO. The situation is undoubtedly serious."
Nafrozy said that if the United States plans to reduce its troops in Germany, Poland is ready to take in some of the US military personnel stationed there. He stated that Poland hopes for the establishment of permanent military bases in its territory by the United States. “Once our two governments have completed this task, I believe President Trump can personally attend the dedication ceremony of ‘Trump Fort.’”
Polish Military Base: U.S. Troops Based There – Visual China
Polish former President Duda first proposed the idea of establishing a permanent U.S. military base in 2018, promising to provide over $2 billion for the project. After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, Poland accelerated the progress of this plan, but it remains unfulfilled to this day. U.S. President Trump recently revealed that negotiations between the two sides have progressed, and the location of the base could be announced "soon."
On the 21st, Stanislaw Ficjatko, Deputy Minister of Defense of Poland, said in an interview with Polish media that Poland is seeking to expand the number of US troops stationed there. The goal is to deploy 15,000 US soldiers in stages. He noted that currently 6,500 to 7,000 US soldiers are stationed in Poland, and the number of troops will be increased in phases, with the target expected to be achieved by 2039.
Among NATO member states, Poland has one of the highest proportions of defense spending to GDP, approaching 5%. However, Bloomberg notes that high defense spending has exacerbated Poland's financial pressure. Poland's budget for 2027, announced by the government in August, indicates that the country's fiscal deficit accounts for 7.1% of economic output, making it one of the countries with the highest deficits in the EU.
But Navrotsky tried to downplay the economic risks, saying that the budget challenges were only “temporary”. He said, “The situation isn’t yet worrying, but some measures definitely need to be taken. The Polish economy is still strong, and we will solve the problems ourselves.”
