Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the decision on the location would be made by the United States and that he did not expect Washington to change its preference for western Poland.
"There are discussions underway on the American side, and the decision rests with the Americans," Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters when asked whether he had information about a decision on a permanent US base in Poland.
"Our task is to present the best possible sites, ensure financing, prepare the logistics and also prepare the necessary legislation," he said during a visit to the southern city of Dąbrowa Górnicza.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said the defence ministry was handling preparations and that he was responsible for the process.
He also highlighted the establishment of a negotiating team whose Pentagon counterpart is led by William Cappelletti, the US deputy assistant secretary of defence for NATO and Europe.
'Poznań, Wrocław, but also Bydgoszcz'
Asked about possible locations for the base, Kosiniak-Kamysz said: "The locations that have emerged and are being seriously considered are Poznań, Wrocław, but also [the north-central city of] Bydgoszcz."
He added: "These cities are being analysed very seriously ... I think our American partners will not change their choice. It rather concerns western Poland."
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. Photo: PAP/Paweł Supernak
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that his administration was looking into the possibility of establishing a new military base in Poland and that it could happen.
In response to a question about the proposed base, Trump said: "We're looking at that and we have great respect for the president of Poland. So, we're looking at that and it could happen."
Asked why he had not made a final decision on a US Army base in Poland, Trump said: "You don't know if I made it or not. I might have made it. I like Poland."
US President Donald Trump. Photo: EPA/ALBERT PENA
It was Trump's second recent comment on the potential permanent US Army base in Poland.
On September 17, Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform, that "major progress" was being made toward establishing a US Army base in Poland.
He attributed the progress to what he called the "bold leadership" of his "friend," Polish President Karol Nawrocki, and said a location for the base could be announced soon.
Marcin Przydacz, head of the Polish president's International Policy Bureau, later told reporters that the decision had "de facto been made."
According to Przydacz, Trump had discussed the issue with Polish President Karol Nawrocki during a reception for leaders attending the UN General Assembly debate in New York in September.
Polish Deputy Defence Ministers Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka and Paweł Zalewski travelled to the United States last week for talks on the issue.
Zalewski said on September 23 that Poland was not negotiating whether the base would be established, saying the decision had already been made and was the result of efforts by successive Polish governments and presidents.
US Deputy Defence Secretary Elbridge Colby said in a statement published on Tuesday that the Pentagon was exploring potential opportunities for the permanent deployment of US forces in Poland as part of broader efforts to strengthen military cooperation with key allies.
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Source: IAR/PAP