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Trump says US troops will stay in Poland, could increase presence

03.09.2025 18:00
The United States will keep its military presence in Poland and may even expand it, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday as he welcomed Polish President Karol Nawrocki to the White House.
Karol Nawrocki and Donald Trump meet at the White House on Wednesday.
Karol Nawrocki and Donald Trump meet at the White House on Wednesday.Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka

The leaders spoke to reporters before holding wider talks expected to focus on Poland’s security and on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Nawrocki, on his first foreign trip since taking office on August 6, was greeted with a military flyover on arrival at the White House.

Trump, who has long praised Poland for leading NATO in boosting defence spending, dismissed speculation that US forces could be withdrawn from the country.

He indicated he was open to deploying more troops to Poland, a country that has long sought a larger American military presence to deter potential Russian aggression.

“I think so—if anything we’ll put more there, if they want,” Trump said when asked if US troops would remain.

“They’ve long wanted a larger presence … They will be staying in Poland. We’re very much aligned with Poland," he added.

The United States has more than 8,000 troops stationed in Poland, including the US Army’s V Corps headquarters in the western city of Poznań, and a rotating presence that forms a key part of NATO’s eastern flank deterrence mission against Russia.

Although speculation about a US troop drawdown in Europe has persisted since the start of Trump’s presidency, he made clear that American forces in Poland would remain, the Reuters news agency reported.

'Important words that confirm the enduring nature of our alliance'

Nawrocki, a conservative president, has been urged to work with the centrist government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk on foreign policy.

Government officials, including Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, said the visit would be considered a success if it ensured the continued presence of US forces in Poland and Europe.

After Trump’s pledge on Wednesday, Tusk wrote on X: “President Trump has just declared that the United States has no intention of withdrawing American troops from Poland, now or in the future. These are important words that confirm the enduring nature of our alliance.”

Kosiniak-Kamysz called it “an important declaration from President Donald Trump on the presence of US troops in Poland,” adding that it “proves that the strategic Polish-American alliance, which is one of the foundations of our security, is incredibly strong.”

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters