Poland proposes trilateral Patriot missile production with US and Ukraine, reports progress on permanent US base

Patriot co-production proposal

Polish Deputy Defence Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, during meetings at the Pentagon and the State Department on 23 July 2026, proposed a trilateral arrangement for the production of Patriot air defence system missiles involving the United States, Ukraine, and Poland. The offer follows President Donald Trump's declaration at the NATO summit in Ankara that the US would consider establishing a Patriot factory on Ukrainian territory.

We discussed what President Trump said during the Ankara summit, namely his declaration that the establishment of a Patriot production factory on Ukrainian territory would be considered.

The Polish proposal aims to address American concerns about security of production. Sobkowiak-Czarnecka stressed that locating manufacturing in Poland would ensure it takes place in a safe environment, while still linking it to Ukraine as Trump envisioned.

The offer I made today on behalf of Poland addresses certain American concerns. We proposed a trilateral cooperation: the United States, Ukraine, and also Poland, because the goal is to secure this production, to ensure it takes place in a safe location.

She noted that Patriot missiles are in global demand, making co-production attractive. "This is a product that is needed practically all over the world. Hence our offer to participate in such co-production," she said. Trilateral talks between the three countries will now follow.

US military base progress

The deputy minister also presented concrete steps Poland has taken toward hosting a permanent US military base. She reported that the Polish government has already adopted a Council of Ministers resolution and is drafting legislation to finance the facility.

Today I very concretely presented the steps the Polish government has already taken. Among other things, we have a specific resolution of the Council of Ministers, and we are also preparing a draft law that could ensure funding for this base.

On the American side, a dedicated team has been formed to work on the base project, and a parallel team now operates within Poland's Ministry of National Defence. Sobkowiak-Czarnecka described the Washington reception as very positive and expressed hope for good outcomes. She cautioned that the final decision rests with President Trump, but Poland's role is to prepare everything to secure a favourable ruling.

The final decision on this matter will belong to Donald Trump. But our task is to prepare everything so that this decision is favorable for us.

Service centre and strategic rationale

Beyond production and basing, Sobkowiak-Czarnecka advocated for locating a Patriot service centre in Poland. She argued that the country's recent expansion of its defence industrial base, combined with its geographic and geopolitical position, makes it a natural choice.

There is great understanding in Washington that our recent development in terms of the condition of the defence industry, as well as our geographic and geopolitical location, will favor this decision.

The discussions in Washington also covered the broader US military presence in Poland and the SAFE mechanism, though details on those topics were not disclosed. The deputy minister's visit underscores Warsaw's push to deepen defence ties with Washington while positioning itself as a hub for allied military production and logistics.