"The permanent presence of US troops in Poland is our absolute priority and we will not abandon this matter," Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said after a meeting at the Pentagon.
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Pete Hegseth: meeting, message, and timeline
Kosiniak-Kamysz met with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, and described Hegseth’s remarks as a “green light” for a permanent US troop presence in Poland. Kosiniak-Kamysz said Hegseth indicated “everything is going in a good direction” when asked about the status of the proposal, and that a White House decision could come “in early December.” The Pentagon’s readout noted Hegseth’s recognition of Poland’s leadership in NATO and the officials signed a Statement of Intent to strengthen bilateral defense industrial cooperation.
The Defense Department did not respond to Breaking Defense’s request for comment by the time of publication.
Bydgoszcz, Poznań, Szczecin and Wrocław: the four candidate sites
Warsaw has identified four potential locations for a permanent installation: Bydgoszcz, Poznań, Szczecin and Wrocław. All four lie west of the Vistula River, which Kosiniak-Kamysz said aligns with US preferences. Each location already hosts military infrastructure: NATO command facilities in Bydgoszcz and Szczecin, the US Army’s forward headquarters in Poznań, and proximity in Wrocław to major training grounds at Żagań and Świętoszów plus access to the A4 motorway and airport infrastructure configured for military airlift operations.
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End the scrambleScale, cost and Poland’s offer
Kosiniak-Kamysz said the proposed installation would need to accommodate as many as 25,000 people, including roughly 5,000 US troops along with their families and support personnel. Poland has offered to fund the infrastructure, with Kosiniak-Kamysz estimating in September costs between 15 billion and 17 billion zlotys (about $3.8 billion to $4.4 billion). “We are ready. We have prepared the sites, and we are prepared to construct the necessary infrastructure and secure the required funding,” he told Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita.
Tomahawk, Patriot PAC-3 and deeper defense industrial cooperation
The talks also covered armaments and industrial ties. Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland requested to purchase Tomahawk cruise missiles and associated launchers “several months ago,” and that the Pentagon had issued a “positive recommendation” on the proposed sale; he emphasized the final decision rests with Congress. In October the Defense Department announced Poland had been selected to host the first Patriot PAC-3 missile maintenance facility outside the United States, a move framed as strengthening missile sustainment in Europe.
Kosiniak-Kamysz has linked a permanent US presence to broader industrial cooperation. He has argued the shift toward European responsibility for conventional defense under the Trump administration’s “NATO 3.0” concept could involve deeper transatlantic defense industrial cooperation, including calls in October for US companies to relocate production lines and maintenance facilities to Europe and pursue joint ventures with European manufacturers.
What this means for Poland, the Pentagon, and Congress
- Poland: Having flagged four prepared sites and offered to cover infrastructure costs, Warsaw will continue to press for a White House decision and to translate increased defense spending into expanded facilities and industrial partnerships.
- The Pentagon: The department has signaled positive intent — calling Poland “one of the most formidable armies in Europe” and signing an industrial Statement of Intent — but the permanent basing decision formally requires White House approval.
- Congress and acquisition authorities: The reported “positive recommendation” on Tomahawk missiles leaves the final sale decision to Congress, which will be the statutory gatekeeper for that particular arms transfer.
The next concrete step the source places on the calendar is a White House decision expected in early December. Until that decision is announced, Poland has prepared sites, offered to fund infrastructure estimated in the billions of zlotys, and secured Pentagon signs of approval on industrial cooperation and certain arms matters — but the final legal and political approvals for basing and for some weapon sales remain with actors beyond the Pentagon.
Ashley Roque contributed to this report.
