Pentagon open to Poland's offer to host permanent U.S. base, Polish minister says
U.S. and Poland Discuss Permanent Military Presence
WARSAW, June 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Defense is open to Poland's offer to host a permanent U.S. military presence in Poland, Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Thursday after meeting U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Brussels.
Poland's Push for Enhanced NATO Presence
Poland has been pushing for a bigger allied presence on NATO's eastern flank after Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in 2022.
Details of the Brussels Meeting
"I had the opportunity to speak today with the Secretary of War — we discussed collective defence and cooperation," Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters in Brussels.
U.S. Response to Poland's Proposal
"The U.S. responded positively to Poland's proposal to establish a permanent U.S. military base in Poland."
Status of the Decision and Current Arrangements
No decision has been taken yet, he added. Poland has so far hosted U.S. troops on a rotational basis.
Review of U.S. Troop Deployments in Europe
On Thursday, Hegseth announced a new review of America's troop deployments in Europe and threatened to withhold some U.S. dues to NATO if "free riding" allies did not meet their defence spending commitments.
(Reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk and Marek Strzelecki, Editing by Alex Richardson)
