Trump touts 'major progress' towards setting up US military base in Poland

The US currently has around 10,000 rotational forces in Poland as well as 11 installation sites, with the US Army Garrison headquartered in Poznań. US President Donald Trump on Thursday said there had been "major progress" towards the creation of a US military base in Poland as he hailed what he described as a "historic step" in relations with Warsaw. "Thanks to the bold leadership of my friend, Karol Nawrocki, President of Poland, major progress is being made toward establishing a U.S. Army base in Poland," Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social Account. "If this happens, the location will be announced very soon. This will be a historic step for our Great U.S./Polish Alliance," he added. The US currently has around 10,000 rotational forces in Poland as well as 11 installation sites, with the US Army Garrison headquartered in Poznań. Earlier this year, the Trump administration threatened to pull troops out of Poland as part of a push to reduce the US' military presence in Europe following repeated criticism of European NATO allies' defence spending. However, Trump later reversed the move and announced that an additional 5,000 troops would be sent to Poland - which Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has dubbed a "model ally" - citing his conservative ally Nawrocki's election in 2025. It comes as the State Department also announced $4 billion in military aid for Poland in September. Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland's defence minister, thanked Trump on Thursday for his efforts towards "establishing a permanent US base in Poland." "Good cooperation between presidents also yields positive results. This is a significant affirmation of our strategic partnership," he wrote on X.