Poland seeks 15,000 US troops by 2039

Poland wants to host 15,000 US troops on its territory by 2039, Deputy Defence Minister Stanislaw Wziatek said Monday, as Russia's war in neighbouring Ukraine heads toward a fifth winter.

Wziatek told broadcaster RMF FM that the target would include about 10,000 US soldiers deployed on a rotational basis and 3,500 to 5,000 stationed permanently.

Poland currently hosts between 6,500 and 7,000 US troops on a rotational basis, he said. That is lower than in May, when the United States withdrew some soldiers from Europe, including from Poland.

US President Donald Trump said Thursday there had been “major progress” on establishing a permanent US military base in Poland, even as his administration began a formal review of the US military presence in Europe.

Poland, a NATO and EU member on the alliance's eastern flank, has accused Russia of sabotage several times since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Prime Minister Donald Tusk last week warned of “hybrid” threats from Russia, including drone and missile strikes, against Ukraine's allies.

Poland is one of NATO's highest defence spenders by share of economic output, allocating almost five percent of GDP to defence.