Trump Announces ‘Major Progress’ on New US Army Base in Poland — Even as Pentagon Weighs Pulling Troops From Rest of Europe
The announcement lands on the 87th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland, as Warsaw pledges roughly $4 billion toward a new permanent American garrison even while the Pentagon reviews slashing tens of thousands of troops elsewhere on the continent.
WARSAW, POLAND — President Trump said the United States is closing in on a deal to build a new, permanent Army base in Poland, timing the announcement to the 87th anniversary of the Soviet Union's 1939 invasion of the country.
"Major progress is being made toward establishing a U.S. Army base in Poland," Trump said, calling it "a historic step for our Great U.S./Polish Alliance" and adding that a specific location would be announced "very soon," according to Stars and Stripes.
Who's paying, and where
Poland has committed roughly $4 billion toward building a base capable of permanently housing several thousand U.S. troops along with their families, complete with schools and other amenities — a substantially bigger footprint than the small existing garrison at Camp Kosciuszko in Poznan. Polish President Karol Nawrocki, described by U.S. officials as a driving force behind the push, has been credited by Trump for keeping the initiative moving. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, head of U.S. European Command, is expected to present site options to Pentagon leadership, and a U.S. delegation has already toured potential locations, including sites near Poznan.
A HISTORIC STEP FOR OUR GREAT U.S./POLISH ALLIANCE
The timing is deliberate: Sept. 17 marks the anniversary of the Soviet Red Army's 1939 invasion of eastern Poland, a date still loaded with meaning in a country now anchoring NATO's eastern flank against Russia.
A shrinking footprint everywhere else
The new-base push comes as the Pentagon separately weighs a major drawdown elsewhere in Europe. Defense officials are considering pulling roughly 25,000 troops from the continent, with a more aggressive option on the table that would remove closer to 40,000 — hitting Germany, Spain and Italy hardest. That review, overseen by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is expected to wrap up within a couple of months.
The contrast has not gone unnoticed in European capitals: Washington is simultaneously scaling back its presence in NATO's founding members while building up forward-facing infrastructure in Poland, a frontline state that has become the alliance's logistics and reinforcement hub for Ukraine.
What's next
No site has been formally chosen, and Trump's "very soon" timeline has slipped before on other basing announcements. Polish officials are expected to press for a final decision ahead of NATO's winter ministerial meetings, while the broader U.S. troop-cut review continues in parallel at the Pentagon.