American soldiers will return to Poland within eight weeks, restoring the troop level to approximately 10,000, Poland’s Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk announced on Thursday. The official also confirmed that parallel negotiations with the United States on establishing a permanent U.S. military base in Poland are ongoing.
Tomczyk, speaking on Polsat News program „Graffiti,” said the timeline for the redeployment was agreed upon during recent talks at the NATO summit in Ankara. He emphasized that the security dialogue with Washington remains a top priority for Warsaw.
– We already know how the review of U.S. forces in Europe will look. We know that in no way will it negatively affect Poland. The gentlemen confirmed all those directions of action – said Cezary Tomczyk.
Return of 10,000 troops and a shift toward permanent stationing
The deputy minister stated that the returning soldiers will be a different unit than the one previously stationed in Poland under the rotational model. He described the move as a major step forward for Poland’s defense posture.
– For us, the direction is what matters most, that is, American soldiers are coming back. That has been confirmed. It’s a great thing for Poland because not only will the troops return, but we are moving to the next step, that is, the permanent stationing of American forces – said Cezary Tomczyk.
Tomczyk added that alongside the troop rotation, work is underway on the legal and documentary framework required to build permanent infrastructure for U.S. forces. He highlighted a recently passed law on key and strategic investments for national security, which shortens the investment process by 70 percent.
– The military will not have to go through all the procedures that previously prolonged the construction of such facilities – explained Cezary Tomczyk.
Two potential locations for a permanent base and billions already spent on infrastructure
The deputy defense minister confirmed that Poland has already identified two likely locations for a future permanent U.S. base: the vicinity of Poznań and the vicinity of Wrocław. He noted that preparing the permanent base will take several years, but Poland has already been investing heavily in related infrastructure.
– We have allocated over a dozen billion zlotys in recent years to strengthen airfields, road infrastructure, fuel depots, and military storage facilities. That work has largely been done – said Cezary Tomczyk.
Tomczyk also pointed to NATO’s decision to allocate 27 billion euros for expanding the Alliance’s fuel system on the eastern flank. The new infrastructure will include pipelines, fuel depots, and bases connecting Poland with the existing NATO system that currently ends in central Germany.
– This is a strategic change from NATO’s perspective. Poland had been advocating for this project for 15 years. Without fuel, there is no modern warfare – emphasized Cezary Tomczyk.
He noted that Polish companies, including Orlen, will be able to use the new system, and it will also serve civilian infrastructure and airports during peacetime.
Źródło: Polsat News, Fot. Polsat News
