United States Defence Undersecretary for Policy John Rood met with Polish officials in Warsaw on Wednesday. The meeting forms part of ongoing negotiations and discussions about the construction of a permanent US military facility in Poland that could be known as “Fort Trump”.
The proposals have been around for many years, but in 2018 the Pentagon seriously examined the feasibility of establishing a permanent US forces base in Poland. Speaking to a House Panel on Wednesday, the acting assistant defence secretary for international security affairs Kathryn Wheelbarger said:
“We have come forward with what we think is a very serious robust offer and we’re just working out some of the technicalities this very week…We hope to have a solid foundation to work from, coming out of this meeting”.
Wheelbarger also explained that, should Poland agree to the terms set out this week, the US State Department would act as the lead negotiator for the technical agreement on the new base. She suggested it could be a matter of six months to a year before that is finalised.
During a presidency that has so far had a tense relationship with NATO (to say the least), the move could be a good sign for Trump’s international allies – but we shouldn’t underestimate Trump’s opponents. This might well be a welcome move to Republicans and Democrats alike who don’t share large parts of Trump’s agenda, but the mere fact that it’s Trump moving forward with the proposal could see new objections and stumbling blocks. Not least the fact that it might be named “Fort Trump”.
The discussions come at a time when the United States is reconsidering its trade and security relationships with countries across Europe and Asia. President Trump this week offered a “large scale trade deal” with the United Kingdom, as Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal failed in parliament for the second time.
My Administration looks forward to negotiating a large scale Trade Deal with the United Kingdom. The potential is unlimited!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 14, 2019
It also comes at a time of great growth for the Polish economy and, what I predicted in this week’s Jack Buckby Report, the verge of a stronger relationship between the UK and Poland post-Brexit.
New cooperation with the UK and the US, and the very real possibility of Fort Trump, are great signs for Poland.
Want to keep up to date with this story? Be sure to follow our Poland Daily YouTube channel!