Poland’s defence minister says the Pentagon has signalled support for establishing a permanent US military base in the country, following talks with American defence chief Pete Hegseth in Washington. However, the final decision remains with the White House and is expected in early December, according to the Polish government.
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz made the announcement on Tuesday, 10 November, after meeting Hegseth at the Pentagon.
He described the talks as a significant step towards securing a larger, permanently stationed American military presence in Poland, a long-standing objective of successive Polish governments.
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The two countries also signed a statement of intent aimed at expanding cooperation between their defence industries.
Although the Polish minister characterised the Pentagon’s response as a positive signal, Washington has not formally announced approval of the proposed base.
Pentagon talks move permanent US base proposal forward
The proposed permanent base was the first subject discussed during Tuesday’s meeting, Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
According to the Polish Ministry of National Defence’s official account of the talks, Hegseth responded positively when asked about progress towards a decision.
The American defence chief reportedly told his Polish counterpart that everything was moving in a good direction.
Kosiniak-Kamysz interpreted the response as a green light from the Pentagon for a permanent American military base.
He nevertheless emphasised that the decision had not yet been finalised.
“The final decision will be made by the White House,” the minister said, adding that he expected it at the beginning of December.
The Polish defence chief said officials from both countries had held dozens of meetings in recent weeks, examining possible locations and discussing the arrangements needed to accommodate additional American forces.
He argued that the technical and government-level preparations had reached an advanced stage.
The minister’s post-meeting remarks, recorded by Polish political news service 300polityka, made clear that Warsaw regarded the outcome as an encouraging signal rather than a completed agreement.
No final location, construction timetable or confirmed number of permanently stationed troops was announced.
What has Washington officially confirmed?
The distinction between Poland’s interpretation of the talks and the Pentagon’s public position is important.
In a 10 November readout issued by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, the US defence department confirmed that Hegseth had met Kosiniak-Kamysz and signed a statement of intent concerning defence-industry cooperation.
The American statement also highlighted Poland’s NATO role, its defence spending and cooperation on military equipment and maintenance facilities.
However, the readout did not announce approval of a permanent military base or confirm the early-December decision timetable.
The proposed base therefore remains subject to a decision by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Poland’s government has described the prospects positively, but those statements should not be understood as confirmation that the United States has committed to establishing the installation.
Poland already hosts permanent American military infrastructure
A new permanent base would expand an American military presence that is already well established in Poland.
US forces have operated in the country for years, with their presence increasing substantially following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In March 2023, the US Army formally established its first permanent garrison in Poland, headquartered at Camp Kościuszko in Poznań.
According to the US Army’s official announcement, the garrison supports permanently assigned military personnel as well as rotational forces operating from locations including Poznań, Powidz and Żagań.
The proposed additional base would therefore not constitute the first permanent US military presence in Poland.
Instead, Warsaw is seeking a larger, more substantial basing arrangement that could accommodate additional permanently stationed American troops and their supporting infrastructure.
Permanent basing differs from rotational deployments, under which military units move into and out of a country at regular intervals.
A major permanent installation could require new accommodation, logistics facilities and other infrastructure to support military personnel over the long term.
Poland has previously discussed the possibility of hosting approximately 5,000 additional permanently stationed US troops, although no final personnel commitment has been announced.
Months of negotiations over NATO’s eastern flank
The latest development follows several months of negotiations between Warsaw and Washington.
In June 2026, the Polish government authorised further preparations for a permanent American base, including the logistical, financial and organisational requirements.
That same month, Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that the Pentagon had responded positively to Poland’s formal proposal, while stressing that discussions would continue.
In September, Polish and American defence officials began more detailed consultations on possible locations, infrastructure and operational arrangements.
A September statement from Poland’s Ministry of National Defence said the discussions were being conducted within the framework of the bilateral Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in 2020.
The Pentagon has meanwhile been reviewing the wider deployment of American forces across Europe.
That review makes the Polish proposal particularly significant, as Washington considers how to balance its military commitments while NATO’s European members assume greater responsibility for conventional defence.
Poland’s geographical position gives the negotiations additional importance.
The country borders Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, Belarus and Ukraine and serves as a major logistical hub for military assistance to Kyiv.
Warsaw argues that a stronger, permanently stationed American presence would contribute to deterrence and improve NATO’s ability to respond to security threats on its eastern flank.
Poland-24 previously reported on President Karol Nawrocki’s decision to convene a national security meeting about the proposed US base, reflecting the issue’s importance across Polish state institutions.
Poland and US sign defence-industry declaration
The Pentagon meeting also produced a separate, confirmed development: a new bilateral statement of intent on defence-industrial cooperation.
Both governments announced that Kosiniak-Kamysz and Hegseth had signed the document.
According to the Pentagon, its purpose is to strengthen cooperation between American and Polish defence manufacturers.
Hegseth praised Poland’s increased defence investment and its contribution to NATO’s military capabilities.
The declaration follows several recent projects involving American military equipment and industrial facilities in Poland.
These include Warsaw’s selection to host a European maintenance centre for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles.
Poland-24 previously reported on the selection of Poland for the Patriot missile maintenance facility, which is intended to strengthen support for the air-defence systems.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland wanted to expand opportunities for jointly developed military equipment, including projects involving American companies operating in Europe.
He also expressed interest in making such projects eligible for relevant European defence funding.
The newly signed statement establishes a framework for further cooperation. It does not, by itself, announce specific new production contracts, funding commitments or construction schedules.
Tomahawk missiles also discussed
The talks included Poland’s interest in acquiring American Tomahawk cruise missiles and associated launch systems.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said the Polish government had submitted an enquiry several months earlier and received an encouraging response from the Pentagon.
As RMF FM reported from the minister’s Washington briefing, he described the American response as a positive recommendation.
Any potential acquisition would still have to pass the relevant US approval procedures.
No completed Tomahawk sale or delivery agreement was announced during the visit.
White House decision expected in December
The next major step in the permanent-base negotiations is expected in early December.
That timetable comes from Kosiniak-Kamysz’s account of the discussions rather than a publicly announced White House deadline.
A favourable decision could allow Poland and the United States to move towards a more detailed agreement covering the location, financing and operation of a new installation.
Such an agreement would represent a significant development in the two countries’ defence relationship and could affect the longer-term posture of American forces in Europe.
For now, the confirmed outcome of the 10 November meeting is a positive assessment from Poland’s defence minister and a signed bilateral defence-industry declaration.
The proposed permanent US base has not yet received final approval.
