The cabinet decision

Poland's Council of Ministers adopted a resolution on Tuesday, 16 June, formally launching the process of establishing a permanent US military base on Polish territory. Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the move before the cabinet meeting, stating that the document had been prepared by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. The resolution authorises the defence minister to lead talks and negotiations with the American side and to coordinate the preparation of logistics, financial, organisational, and housing infrastructure for incoming US troops.

“I have been authorised to conduct talks and negotiations with the American side and to coordinate preparations of the necessary infrastructure and logistical support.”

Tusk framed the resolution as a proactive step, arguing Poland cannot wait for the United States to act on its own declarations. "If we are serious about a permanent base, we must start preparing Poland for it," he told the cabinet. The prime minister stressed that the undertaking is a major organisational and financial effort, not merely a security opportunity.

What the resolution covers

The resolution triggers work across multiple domains: logistics, finance, organisation, and housing for American soldiers. Government spokesman Adam Szłapka confirmed after the cabinet meeting that the document had been adopted and that it empowers the defence minister to pursue the creation of a permanent US force presence. Szłapka noted that successive Polish governments have consistently sought allied forces on Polish soil, with a particular emphasis on moving from rotational deployments to a permanent footing.

“All governments here have been very consistent. We all want the presence to be permanent, not rotational.”

The cabinet's security committee met earlier that morning to review the financial, infrastructural, and logistical guarantees required for an expanded US footprint. The resolution itself does not specify a site; the government is currently focused on building the organisational and infrastructural framework that would make a permanent base feasible.

Where the base could go

Kosiniak-Kamysz told TVN24 that several locations have already been reviewed by the Polish side in contact with the Americans. He named Lower Silesia (Dolny Śląsk) and Wielkopolska as the two regions under active consideration. The minister said Poland remains in daily contact with the Pentagon and that the process of deciding which units would be stationed at the base is still underway.

“We have very good locations in Wielkopolska and in Lower Silesia.”

The defence minister had already presented a formal proposal for a new, permanent US base to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth at the beginning of June.

The American commitment

The Polish push coincides with a visit to Washington by President Karol Nawrocki. Marcin Przydacz, head of the International Policy Bureau at the Chancellery of the President, said on Monday that Donald Trump had confirmed allied commitments, including Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, and had assured that planned reductions in US presence in Western Europe would not affect Poland. Trump also reiterated a public pledge to send an additional 5,000 American troops to Poland.

“Our ambitions reach 15,000; the minimum version is 11,000, which is still more than before.”

Upon returning from the United States, President Nawrocki is expected to meet with the defence minister to discuss further steps. In May, Trump had announced the additional troop deployment, linking it to the electoral success of President Nawrocki and their bilateral relationship. Earlier, the Pentagon had cancelled a rotation of 4,000 troops to a base in Poland, a move that had sparked domestic debate about the reliability of the American presence.

What comes next

The resolution marks the start of a formal negotiation and preparation track. The government has not disclosed a timeline for when a site might be selected or when construction could begin. The immediate focus is on building the logistical and financial scaffolding, what Tusk described as a complex, multi-institutional effort, so that when American decisions are made, Poland is ready to receive the additional forces on a permanent basis.