A U.S. delegation is scheduled to visit Poland on Thursday and Friday to assess potential locations for a permanent American military base, Polish defense officials said Wednesday, signaling a new phase in talks between the NATO allies.
Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Bejda said the delegation would inspect possible sites during the two-day visit. Another deputy defense minister, Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, described the coming 48 hours as crucial for Polish-American relations.
The visit follows Poland’s formal offer in May to host a permanent U.S. military installation. Poland’s defense minister, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, said in June that the United States had responded positively to the proposal, although he stressed that no final decision had been made.
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Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said Thomas DiNanno, the U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, was in Poland on Wednesday and would remain there Thursday. She said DiNanno was expected to visit unspecified locations and that authorities would release further details after the visit.
She said western Poland was under consideration for both potential joint investment projects involving the two countries and a possible permanent U.S. base. The focus on the western part of the country reflects a condition set by the American side, she said.
“We understand” that condition, Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said, asking for time until Thursday for more specific information.
The site review is the beginning of “very serious talks,” Bejda said earlier Wednesday.
Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said the U.S. team includes an official leading discussions with Poland on behalf of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. That official has been working primarily with Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Zalewski on the potential location of a permanent base, she said.
Poland has become one of Washington’s most important security partners on NATO’s eastern flank, where concerns about regional security have remained high since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The country already hosts American troops on a rotational basis and has sought a lasting U.S. military presence for years.
A permanent installation would represent a more formal and durable commitment than rotating troop deployments, though Polish officials have not said what size force, facilities or timetable could be involved. No prospective location has been publicly identified.
The discussion is also unfolding as Poland expands military cooperation with the United States and purchases American-made defense equipment. Sobkowiak-Czarnecka attended the signing Wednesday of another Polish-U.S. credit-guarantee agreement tied to Warsaw’s acquisition of U.S. military hardware through the Foreign Military Financing program.
The agreement was presented as part of a broader defense relationship that combines equipment purchases, financing and military cooperation. Polish officials have argued that strengthening the country’s armed forces and deepening ties with Washington are central to national and regional security.
DiNanno’s visit and the site inspections could clarify whether the U.S. is prepared to advance from a favorable initial response to more detailed negotiations on basing, infrastructure and funding.
Polish officials have cautioned that the discussions remain preliminary. Still, Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said the presence of senior U.S. officials and the defense team working on the issue made the next two days especially important.
The U.S. delegation’s findings have not been made public, and Polish authorities said they would provide more information after the visit concludes.
