Following a series of meetings at the White House, the Pentagon, and the State Department, the delegation of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) announced that negotiations on establishing a permanent U.S. military base in Poland have entered a decisive phase. Law and Justice (PiS) MEP Patryk Jaki said the project is “very close to success,” while representatives of the U.S. administration have also expressed optimism that a ceasefire in Ukraine could be announced later this year.
U.S. Troops in Poland
“We are very close to achieving success in establishing a permanent U.S. military base in Poland,” Law and Justice (PiS) MEP Patryk Jaki said on Thursday in Washington. He also stated that the U.S. administration is optimistic that a ceasefire in Ukraine will be announced later this year.
“We are here because we do not want to allow transatlantic relations to be undermined,” Jaki said during his visit to the U.S. capital as part of a delegation from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament.
The ECR delegation held talks at the White House, the State Department, and the Pentagon, with security among the key topics discussed.
“As the ECR group, we support allocating greater resources to rebuilding Europe’s defense capabilities and military potential,” the MEP added.
In the context of the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, the delegation also discussed the NATO 3.0 concept, reforms, and defense spending.
“From Poland’s perspective, a particularly important issue is the establishment of a permanent U.S. military base in Poland (…). I can say that we had a very important discussion on this subject, and we are close to success,” Jaki said.
“My intuition tells me that we will hear good news in the near future. However, the announcement will be made by President Donald Trump and President Karol Nawrocki. After spending the past few days in Washington, I am quite optimistic,” MEP Adam Bielan said.
Bielan also revealed that “five or six weeks ago” he met with representatives of the U.S. administration, who told him that “the Polish government had not done its homework.” He assessed that the recent meeting between the presidents of the United States and Poland “helped move this issue forward.”
Bielan believes that “we will finalize the entire project this year.” He added: “We discussed the timetable for the next steps, but we cannot disclose its details. We do know, however, that from the American side’s perspective, the key period is the next six to twelve months. That is when certain decisions should be expected.”
Jaki also said that during the visit the delegation “heard many optimistic assessments regarding the current course” of Russia’s war against Ukraine. “Our interlocutors told us they are quite optimistic that a ceasefire can be achieved later this year,” Jaki said.
He acknowledged that the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine is improving. “We are convinced that the United States wants Ukraine to prevail,” he added. He also “strongly condemned” Russia’s massive attacks on Ukraine carried out overnight from Wednesday to Thursday.