Poland wants to increase the US military presence on its territory to 15,000 troops. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Defense Stanisław Wziatek to RMF radio, quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reports.
The plan envisages about 10,000 US troops to be deployed on a rotational basis, and between 3,500 and 5,000 to be permanently stationed in the country. Currently, there are between 6,500 and 7,000 US troops in Poland on a rotational basis.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that "significant progress" has been made towards the establishment of a permanent US military base in Poland. At the same time, Washington is reviewing the US military presence in Europe.
According to Wziatek, the expansion of the US contingent will be carried out in stages and should be implemented by 2039.
Warsaw justifies the strengthening of its defense presence with the risks associated with Russia's war in Ukraine. Last week, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned of possible “hybrid” threats against Kiev's allies, including incidents with drones and missiles.
Poland, a member of NATO and the EU and located on the eastern flank of the Alliance, is among the NATO countries with the highest defense spending. They amount to nearly 5% of gross domestic product.