Poland and Pentagon officials are in discussions about possibly locating several American military bases in the country, Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski said after a meeting of the North Atlantic Council at NATO headquarters in Brussels Aug. 27.
Zalewski said he met with Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby about plans for the bases and defense policy.
“The American presence in Poland can encompass various defense capabilities,” Zalewski told Polish Radio after the meeting. “We believe it doesn’t have to be concentrated in one place. Of course, there are several locations we want to discuss with the U.S. side where such a presence would be truly massive. However, we are still talking about several bases and several locations.”
Poland formally requested new permanent U.S. military bases in June after Trump pledged to send 5,000 additional troops to the country. About 10,000 U.S. troops are already stationed in Poland, which spends about $15,000 for each, according to the country’s defense department.
Poland’s priorities are to secure defense capabilities the country currently lacks, such as reconnaissance and command functions, rather than simply increasing troop numbers, Zalewski said.
The bases would be a permanent strategy for the United States and not just a reaction to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to Poland.
“A permanent U.S. presence would reflect America’s long-term strategic interest in the country, not merely respond to the recent activities of Russia,” Zalewski said.
The discussion also included nuclear weapons logistics, according to the deputy defense minister.
He added, however, that Poland didn’t want nuclear warheads stationed in the country.
“Poland does not want to have nuclear warheads on this territory,” Zalewski said. “We want to participate in NATO nuclear deterrence but that does not mean to have nuclear warheads on our territory.”
Poland’s Minister of National Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz appeared to clarify the comments in a statement on X later in the day.
“To dispel any doubts: Poland remains steadfastly interested in participating in the NATO Nuclear Sharing program,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said in the post. “We are also conducting talks regarding the proposal for participation in the European nuclear protective umbrella. Our government’s stance on these issues is unequivocal.”
The Pentagon didn’t respond to a request for comment about the bases by publication time.
Colby visited Belgium this week to meet with European allies and press them to increase their defense expenditures as Washington evaluates its policy toward the region.
The Pentagon asked the allies to assess their commitment to U.S. foreign policy goals as part of a European Force review launched in June by War Secretary Pete Hegseth. The review examines the future deployment of about 80,000 U.S. troops across Europe, with nearly half of them expected in Germany.
Colby introduced the new framework, which he dubbed “NATO 3.0,” earlier this year.
Some countries are concerned the review will result in U.S. troop cuts in Europe. President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw troops from countries that refused to help the United States secure the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran conflict.
In May, the Pentagon ordered the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany after tensions flared between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran war.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Friday that Europe and Canada had accepted a more equitable share of defense spending since last year.
“Still, there is much more to be done and we’ll get there,” Rutte said.
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