Polish official says potential US army base would be in western Poland

A potential permanent US army base in Poland would definitely be in the country’s west, deputy defence minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said on Friday, after US President Donald Trump said progress is being made towards its establishment.

Poland has been pushing ⁠for a bigger allied presence on ​Nato’s eastern flank for years and has intensified those efforts since Russia’s invasion ​of neighbouring Ukraine in 2022.

In June, Polish defence minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said the US defence department was open to ​Poland’s offer to host a permanent ‌US military presence in Poland, but that no decision had been taken.

Last week, US officials came to Poland to assess potential sites for the facility, Polish government officials said. They visited Poznan and Powidz, both in western Poland, officials from the National Security Bureau told reporters.