POLAND PERSPECTIVE

Warsaw, June 15, 2026. For Poland, the American reassessment of military presence in Europe is not a threat to endure, but a signal to convert into opportunity. While Washington announces a multi-month review of force deployments across the continent, Warsaw has already moved preemptively by formally proposing the creation of a permanent American military base on Polish soil—and obtaining a favorable response.

Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced in Brussels following a NATO defense ministers meeting that he received the official United States response to Poland's May 29 letter. "The United States Department of Defense responds favorably to Poland's proposal for a permanent American military base on our nation's territory," he stated at the press conference. The position was confirmed by RMF24, which reported that "the base would have strategic character and is viewed as an important element of allied defense between Poland and the United States."

This initiative reflects a multi-track Polish diplomatic approach. President Karol Nawrocki traveled to Washington to advocate for the proposal during Donald Trump's 80th birthday celebrations and the commemoration of America's 250th independence anniversary. According to presidential spokesman Rafal Leskiewicz, Nawrocki met with Trump himself, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, and the chairpersons of Senate intelligence and armed services committees—"all these meetings centered on one fundamental objective: increase American troop presence in Poland," he emphasized.

On the multilateral front, Warsaw acknowledges the "NATO 3.0" concept articulated by Hegseth at the Brussels meeting: a return to a militarily robust alliance where Europe assumes greater responsibility for its own defense. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte confirmed that alliance members now aim for 5 percent of GDP dedicated to defense spending by 2035, following a record increase of over 90 billion dollars in real terms during the previous year alone. Rutte characterized the American review of deployments as "reasonable" given the current security environment, noting it will proceed "in close consultation with allies."

To consolidate Eastern European security architecture, Poland also signed a bilateral defense cooperation agreement with Germany on June 17. At the Warsaw ceremony, Kosiniak-Kamysz stated: "We are adding another element to the construction of a new security architecture in Europe." His German counterpart Boris Pistorius emphasized reciprocity: both nations now intend to stand "shoulder to shoulder, as equals."

Polish reading of this file is therefore decidedly proactive: rather than fearing American disengagement, Warsaw seeks to institutionalize and entrench Washington's presence—betting that the eastern flank geography of NATO makes Poland indispensable.