The revelation came during bilateral talks at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on November 10, 2026. While Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed the “green light” for the base, the official U.S. Department of Defense readout did not mention the facility. Instead, the U.S. statement focused on the signing of a Statement of Intent to strengthen bilateral defense industry cooperation. A discrepancy exists between the Polish minister’s public remarks and the U.S. official account, which highlighted industrial partnership rather than force stationing.
The proposed base would accommodate up to 5,000 permanently assigned U.S. troops and their families. Poland has spent months lobbying Washington for this permanent presence, with top Pentagon officials recently scouting locations in western cities including Wroclaw, Poznan, Bydgoszcz, and Szczecin. Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that the review of U.S. forces in Europe is nearing completion and that developments are moving in a positive direction for Poland’s security.
The formal agreement signed by Hegseth and Kosiniak-Kamysz aims to increase the scale and speed of defense industrial cooperation. The pact specifically addresses the deepening of Poland’s defense industrial base, including the recent hosting of a new Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Maintenance Facility and the expansion of related production lines. Hegseth described the move as the “next steps in our alliance,” linking the industrial depth to the broader strategic framework of NATO 3.0.
NATO 3.0 envisions a strategic rebalancing where European nations assume primary responsibility for their own conventional defense, allowing the United States to potentially shift focus to other regions, such as the Pacific. Hegseth praised Poland’s commitment to this model, noting that Warsaw is allocating nearly 5% of its gross domestic product to defense. He stated that Poland is building one of the most formidable armies in Europe through historic investments in tanks, F-35 Lightning II strike fighters, AH-64 Apache helicopters, and Patriot missile systems.
The U.S. Secretary also reaffirmed the United States’ desire for a durable peace in Ukraine and encouraged Poland to continue its support for Kyiv. While the Pentagon’s official release did not confirm the base, it reiterated the commitment to a robust defense partnership and the practical implementation of a “secure theory of victory” through enhanced interoperability. The next major milestone is the anticipated White House decision in December, which would formalize the permanent U.S. military presence on Polish soil.
