US and Poland advance plans for permanent military base with final decision set for December

Pentagon force posture review

The United States Department of Defense is assessing the creation of a permanent military base in Poland as part of its updated National Defense Strategy. In a formal statement delivered to Congress on 29 September 2026, US Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby confirmed ongoing bilateral technical discussions and site evaluations with Polish defense authorities. The assessment coincides with a reduction in US Army brigade combat teams stationed in Europe from five to three, following the withdrawal of rotational brigades previously operating in Poland and Romania. Colby stated that Washington is transferring greater defense responsibility to European partners, with long-term troop allocations informed by European Command assessments, allied consultations, and questionnaires submitted by European capitals.

Implementation timeline and bilateral meetings

Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz addressed the development on 30 September 2026 at the Military University of Technology in Warsaw. Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that US Ambassador Tom Rose briefed him earlier that morning on the strategy implementation, confirming that a permanent installation in Poland is a core element in the Pentagon report. The briefing followed technical discussions held the previous week between Colby and Polish deputy defense ministers Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka and Paweł Zalewski. Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that he had previously received assurances regarding Poland's security posture from US Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Ankara NATO summit in July 2026. According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, a US negotiating team will present its site analysis to the Pentagon in November 2026, preceding a final decision by the White House and President Donald Trump in December 2026.

Political consensus on Fort Trump

Discussions regarding a permanent installation, informally designated as "Fort Trump," trace back to 2018, when Poland proposed spending over $2 billion to co-finance a permanent American garrison. Polish President Karol Nawrocki renewed the initiative during a September 2026 visit to the United States, telling Bloomberg Television that he expects the project to conclude before Trump completes his presidential term in 2029. Trump announced on Truth Social on 17 September 2026 that substantial progress had been made toward establishing the facility, later telling TVN24 reporter Michał Sznajder that he holds high regard for Poland and Nawrocki. Speaking in Warsaw, Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed his endorsement of the proposed base name.

I know that it is also an important element in this discussion, so in my opinion this really should not pose any problem, and this is also that element, that price that is always worth paying for the permanent presence of American soldiers in Poland. This is the overarching goal.

Equipment procurement and regional security

Kosiniak-Kamysz delivered his remarks alongside the formal signing of agreements between the Military University of Technology, GE Aerospace, and Boeing Company for Poland's Apache attack helicopter acquisition program. American personnel had inspected potential base sites across Poland earlier in September 2026. In his report to Congress, Colby noted that European allies are currently financing American military assistance to Ukraine through the PURL mechanism while Ukrainian armed forces maintain the front line against Russian troops. Colby added that the Department of Defense is preserving deterrence across Europe while continuing deterrence operations along the First Island Chain in the Indo-Pacific region.