“The US commitment to Poland’s security is not diminishing – on the contrary, it may even increase!” This signals that Warsaw aims for further institutional strengthening of military cooperation with the United States. For many Polish diaspora communities in the USA, Poland’s security remains one of the most important topics of public debate.
What exactly Warsaw proposed
The key word in this proposal is “permanent”. Currently, about ten thousand American soldiers are stationed in Poland, but most of them are in the country on a rotational basis – they arrive for a specified period and are replaced by subsequent sub-units. The United States has several permanent military installations and commands in Poland, but there is no large, comprehensive operational base here like Germany’s Ramstein. What Warsaw is now seeking is a change to this formula – a permanent base of this type would mean not only a symbolic confirmation of the alliance but also a long-term strengthening of the deterrence system on NATO’s eastern flank.
At a press conference in Warsaw, Kosiniak-Kamysz explained that the letter to Hegseth is the result of a small “diplomatic offensive” by the government – an earlier conversation between the Minister of National Defense and the head of the Pentagon, as well as visits by deputy defense ministers to Washington – and also top-level political contacts between Warsaw and Washington. Asked about the American side’s reaction, the minister admitted that “the other side expects our submissions, and also expects even more details,” which the ministry is working on. He also noted that Washington expects “financial commitment,” which is the subject of analyses conducted by the Polish government. “We will create conditions that will be attractive to our American partner,” he assured.
How much Poland already pays
Contrary to popular belief, the presence of American soldiers is not free for Poland. According to the Minister of Defense, Poland currently allocates about 15,000 dollars annually to support the stay of each US soldier stationed in the country. Poland also allocates one of the highest percentages of its gross domestic product to defense within NATO. These figures have a double significance in talks with Washington: they show that Poland takes the alliance seriously, but also indicate that a permanent base will entail additional, multi-year financial commitments.
Map of American presence
Although there is no large, comprehensive operational base in Poland, there are many locations for US troops and military installations. Powidz in Greater Poland is of great importance – it is the location of one of the main Army Prepositioned Stocks (APS) equipment and armament warehouses in Europe. Camp Kościuszko, the headquarters of the US Forward Divisional Command, is located in Poznań. The Aegis Ashore missile defense system base operates in Redzikowo in Pomerania. American armored brigades use training grounds in Drawsko Pomorskie and Żagań. The presence of US troops in Poland results from NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) mission, conducted since 2017, as well as bilateral agreements and Operation Atlantic Resolve. A new permanent base would be another qualitatively different step.
Ambiguous sentiments
The proposal comes at a time when Poles’ sentiments towards the American presence are divided. According to an IBRiS agency poll, published the same day by Radio Zet, just over forty-four percent of respondents support the idea of a new American base, while about forty-one percent are against it. This is an almost even split, reflecting broader fluctuations in trust in the United States under the leadership of Donald Trump. For the Polish diaspora in the USA, which for decades has been a natural link between Warsaw and Washington, these numbers show that the topic of the base is not a foregone conclusion in Poland – and that the conversation about it is just beginning.
Key facts
- What: Poland submitted an official proposal to the USA for the establishment of a new, permanent United States military base. This was announced by, among others, Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (X, June 3, 2026).
- Current status: approx. 10,000 US soldiers in Poland, mostly rotational; no large, comprehensive operational base. The final decision rests with the American side and – as the minister noted – “has not yet been made.”
- Sources: Kosiniak-Kamysz’s post on the X platform, TVN24, Rzeczpospolita, Wirtualna Polska, TVP Info.
We continue to follow the topic on poland.us. For a detailed catalog of Polish-American companies and institutions in the USA, please refer to PolishPages.com.
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