The Polish government is proposing $2 bn. to encourage the US government to locate a permanent military base in Poland – according to a document that has just been disclosed. The content of the document handed to the US side was disclosed by the journalists of the Onet.pl portal. According to the Polish Ministry of Defence, the document was handed over to the American administration and leading think tanks. For years, Polish politicians have been calling for a permanent presence of American troops in their country because of the growing threat from Russia.
Warsaw proposes to locate American military bases in the centre of Poland – Bydgoszcz and Toruń. The document describes in detail the infrastructure that is planned to be built: barracks, airports and even schools and hospitals. The location in these two cities is supported by a well-developed garrison infrastructure and the presence of NATO institutions, including the Joint Force Training Centre. Additionally, the location of American troops would enable them to carry out exercises in one of the modernised military training facilities in Drawsko Pomorski, which is 150 km away from Bydgoszcz. On the other hand, the location of the unit would make it possible to secure the Suwalki Gap, which is an important communication point for the Baltic States with the rest of the Allies.
The Polish government wants to strengthen its security and that of its neighbours in connection with the threat posed by the Russian Federation,” says IFIS President Paweł Fleischer.
The perspectives for the deployment of the entire tank division are vague, but there are chances for that 4.5 thousand American soldiers will be permanently stationed in Poland.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Defense sent a letter to the congressmen concerning the U.S. budget for the coming year. It refers to the possibility of permanent deployment of US troops in Europe.
Source: Belsat