Poland is not relenting in its efforts to strengthen the alliance with the USA and expects further strengthening of the American military presence on its territory. Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized that strategic plans on NATO’s eastern wing must not be affected by the current tension in the Middle East.
Poland expects the strengthening of the presence of American troops on its territory, regardless of the development of the situation in the Middle East, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Friday in an interview with the daily Rzeczpospolita. This is reported by the Warsaw correspondent TASR, according to the PAP agency.
- Poland has been negotiating with the United States for a long time to strengthen its military presence.
- Warsaw expects an increase in the presence of American troops regardless of the Middle East.
- Efforts to strengthen the American presence have been ongoing for months and are not related to crises.
- The Minister of Defense described the scenario of the US leaving NATO as exaggerated and unrealistic.
- The European SAFE program has a fundamental role in the modernization of the Polish armed forces.
Kosiniak-Kamysz: There is no NATO without the USA, but even America is not as strong without the Alliance
The minister responded to considerations about possible transfers of American forces in Europe in connection with President Donald Trump’s stance on supporting allies. He emphasized that Poland has been negotiating with the United States for a long time to maintain and strengthen its military presence on NATO’s eastern flank. “We expect an increase in the presence of American troops in Poland, regardless of the situation in the Middle East,” he said. According to him, these efforts are not related to current events and have been ongoing for several months.
In connection with considerations about the possible withdrawal of the US from NATO, he emphasized the importance of cooperation. “There is no NATO without the US, but the military strength and power of America is also not without its membership in NATO,” he said, saying that he considers such scenarios to be exaggerated.
He also pointed to the role of the European SAFE program in the modernization of the armed forces. Some of the Polish projects are already being implemented and after receiving support from the EU, their financing will be adjusted, others are waiting for an agreement with the European Commission.
