Poland says expanding US military presence remains top priority

Increasing the number of U.S. troops stationed in Poland remains an "absolute priority", Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Thursday, signalling that talks with Washington on the issue are nearing completion.

Speaking to Polish television, Kosiniak-Kamysz said negotiations with the United States had been underway for months and had progressed beyond the stage of political declarations.

"An increased presence of American troops in Poland is today an absolute priority for all of us," he said.

The minister said discussions were now at an advanced stage and that officials were "at the finish line" of the process, without providing further details on the scale or timing of any potential troop increase.

Kosiniak-Kamysz argued that the exact number of additional U.S. personnel was less important than the strategic signal their presence would send.

"An additional few thousand American soldiers would have a significant deterrent effect," he said.

Poland, one of NATO's frontline states bordering Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus, has been a strong advocate of a larger allied military presence in Eastern Europe since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Around 10,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed in Poland as part of NATO's efforts to strengthen deterrence and reinforce security along the alliance's eastern flank. The Polish government has repeatedly called for a deeper long-term U.S. military commitment, viewing it as a key pillar of national and regional security.