Trump says progress made toward establishing US Army base in Poland

WASHINGTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said on Thursday that progress is being made toward establishing a US Army base in Poland, crediting “the bold leadership” of Polish President Karol Nawrocki.

“If this happens, the location will be announced very soon. This will be a historic step for our Great U.S./Polish Alliance,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Nawrocki later thanked Trump on X, saying that Poland was “ready to continue our efforts to strengthen our defense cooperation,” and adding: “I can assure you that the Polish government will do its utmost to provide the best possible location for the US Army base.”

The head of the Polish president’s chancellery, Zbigniew Bogucki, called it “great news for Poland,” underscoring that it came on the 87th anniversary of Soviet Russia’s invasion of Poland.

Poland has been pushing ⁠for a bigger allied presence on ​NATO’s eastern flank after Russia’s invasion ​of neighboring Ukraine in 2022.

In June, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said the US Department of Defense was open to ​Poland’s offer to host a permanent ‌US military presence in Poland, but that no decision had been taken.

The minister met with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in June in Brussels, where the Pentagon chief announced a new review of US troop deployments in Europe.

Poland ​has so ⁠far hosted US troops on a rotational basis.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil, Doina Chiacu in Washington and Karol Badohal in Warsaw; editing by Costas Pitas and Rosalba O’Brien)