US Gives Poland ‘Green Light’ to Negotiate Permanent Military Base

The US has given Poland a “green light” to begin detailed negotiations on creating a permanent US military base in the country, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Friday.

Poland has pushed for a permanent US military presence for years, arguing that its location on NATO’s eastern flank, bordering war-torn Ukraine and Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, makes it central to the alliance’s security.  

A permanent base would go beyond the current rotational deployments of American troops and could anchor the US military presence in Poland for the long term. 

Speaking at the first Warsaw Defense Fair, a two-day security and defense industry event in the Polish capital, Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland was closer than ever to securing that goal. 

“Yesterday... we received the green light for very precise negotiations,” he said. “The final decision will be in the agreement, but the process has advanced so far in such a short time over recent weeks.” 

On Thursday, after talks with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Brussels, Kosiniak-Kamysz said Washington had responded “positively” to Warsaw’s proposal for a permanent base but had not yet made a final decision. 

Difficult times for regional security 

Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland faced a difficult security environment, pointing to “provocations” in the Baltic Sea, disruption of GPS signals, sabotage and intelligence threats. 

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Daniel Fried says Europe is already increasing defense spending, and Washington should secure that progress instead of weakening deterrence.

“I do not want to scare people, I want to prepare them, but these are very difficult times,” he said. 

He added that Poland’s security rested on three pillars: a strong society, a strong army and strong alliances. 

Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland planned to build the largest army in Europe by 2030. He noted that defense spending had reached 5% of gross domestic product, with this year’s defense budget at about 200 billion zlotys (€47 billion). 

“Poland is a leader in armaments, and this is a brand recognized around the world,” he said. 

The minister also said Poland wanted to make its defense industry one of the main drivers of economic growth. He added that cyber technologies and dual-use systems were becoming increasingly important.