“The Americans are open to talks on establishing a permanent US military base in Poland. We need to seize this opportunity and translate it into proactive measures that are finalised as quickly as possible. Only once the negotiations have concluded will we be able to provide specific dates,” said Bartosz Grodecki, head of Poland’s National Security Bureau.
Asked when a permanent US military base could be established in Poland, the National Security Bureau chief replied that, for the time being, the US declaration had opened the way for negotiations.
“It is essential that the Ministry of National Defence act effectively through the planned negotiating team, which will begin the planning process. Among other things, we need to decide where the base will be located, determine which forces it will accommodate, secure financing, and draw up a timetable for the work,”
he said.
He added that the project would also require the preparation of a special law enabling the subsequent stages of the investment to be carried out.
“Importantly, the Americans are open to talks. We need to seize this opportunity and translate it into proactive measures that are finalised as quickly as possible. Only once the negotiations have concluded will we be able to provide specific dates. The agreement will provide the basis and foundation for implementing this large and costly undertaking,”
Grodecki stressed.
Asked about the composition of the negotiating team, he said it would include representatives of the government and argued that a representative of President Nawrocki should also be involved.
Asked about the rotation of US troops currently stationed in Poland, the National Security Bureau chief said the total number of American troops stood at approximately 7,000. Following the announcement that another 5,000 soldiers would be deployed, the number would rise to around 12,000.
“At this stage, we do not have definitive answers regarding either the date of their arrival or the type of military component we can expect. Everything is currently in the hands of planners and decision-makers. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is expected to make decisions soon on the shape of US forces in Europe, based, among other things, on proposals submitted by NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich,”
he added.
Grodecki also insisted that there were no differences between the government and the president over the construction of a permanent US military base.
In June this year, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that the Pentagon was open to Poland’s proposal for the permanent stationing of US forces on Polish territory. At the time, he emphasised that the final decision would depend on the details of the agreement.
In late June, the defence minister announced that talks with the United States on a permanent military base in Poland had entered their next stage. In a post on X, he said that a “force posture review” was underway at the Pentagon and would provide the basis for further decisions.
Poland has long sought to ensure that an increasing proportion of US forces present in the country are stationed there permanently. This would involve permanent bases hosting specific US military units, with American soldiers living in Poland for extended periods and, for example, bringing their families to Europe.
Under the rotational presence model, US troops are deployed to Poland for several months before being replaced by personnel from another unit with comparable capabilities.
Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk said this week that a team responsible for negotiating with the American side over a permanent US military base in Poland would be established at the Ministry of National Defence “in the coming days.”