Official: Poland not concerned over possible US troop reductions

Poland is not worried about a potential reduction of US forces in Europe and has received assurances that American military presence in the country will be maintained and could even expand, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has said.

In an interview with Defence24, Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that Warsaw has “for many months” held guarantees that US contingents in Poland will remain in place.

“We already have assurances that the contingents will be maintained and that there is a possibility of increasing them,” he said, adding that Poland sees no grounds for concern that any reduction of US troops in Germany would negatively affect its own security.

He noted that talks with Washington on expanding the American military presence in Poland have been ongoing for several months and are independent of broader decisions concerning US deployments elsewhere in Europe.

Around 10,000 US troops are currently stationed in Poland on a rotational basis, making it one of the largest American military presences in Europe outside Germany.

Kosiniak-Kamysz also confirmed that Warsaw intends to make use of the EU defence lending scheme SAFE — a €150 billion programme offering preferential loans for defence procurement — to support military modernisation.

The initiative had been previously blocked after President Karol Nawrocki vetoed legislation that would have enabled Poland to access around €44 billion in funding.

The government now plans to proceed with the agreement, with Defence Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz and Finance Minister Andrzej Domański expected to sign the deal on Friday.

By Aghakazim Guliyev