Poland is in discussions with the United States over the possibility of establishing a permanent American military base on its territory, Deputy Defence Minister Pawel Zalewski said on Wednesday. The talks come as Washington reviews its military presence across Europe and NATO members continue to reassess their collective security posture amid ongoing regional tensions.

Nearly 10,000 US troops are currently stationed in Poland, with most deployed on a rotational basis. Speaking to public broadcaster TVP, Zalewski said the initial stage of discussions had already been completed and that both countries had expressed the political will to deepen defence cooperation. He added that the United States had informed Warsaw about the formation of a dedicated American team that would serve as Poland's counterpart during the negotiations.

According to Zalewski, the two sides are already exchanging proposals, although he clarified that these are not yet official. Poland has been seeking to strengthen the long-term presence of US forces, citing its strategic location on NATO's eastern flank. The country shares borders with both Ukraine and Russia's Kaliningrad region, making it a key logistical and security hub for the alliance in Eastern Europe.

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The discussions follow the United States' announcement last week of a formal review of its military deployment in Europe. The review is intended to encourage European allies to assume greater responsibility for their conventional defence capabilities. Poland has consistently increased its defence spending in recent years and currently allocates around 5 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to defence, among the highest levels within NATO.

The renewed focus on burden-sharing also comes after Washington criticised some European countries for refusing to allow US forces to use NATO bases during its military operations against Iran. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has also warned that the United States could reconsider its contribution to NATO's budget if member states fail to honour commitments made at the alliance's summit in The Hague. At that meeting, NATO members agreed to work towards allocating at least 5 per cent of their GDP to security-related spending by 2035, including 3.5 per cent dedicated specifically to military expenditure.

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