Nawrocki: Permanent U.S. Base in Poland Is “Just a Question of Time,” Would Be Named Fort Trump

Polish President Karol Nawrocki said a permanent U.S. Army base in Poland is “just a question of time” and that the installation would be called Fort Trump. He spoke to Bloomberg Television in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

“It’s hard for me to give specific dates, but I think that this matter is for sure confirmed because President Trump is famous for keeping his word,” Nawrocki said. “The infrastructure is being chosen right now. Consultants from the United States have already visited Poland.” He added that administrative and financial issues remain. “When the work is finished by the U.S. administration, by both governments, I think then President Trump will personally be able to participate in the inauguration of Fort Trump.” He said he hoped that would happen before Trump’s term ends in 2029.

Nawrocki said Poland would pay. “Poland pays for its security. We also cover the costs of American soldiers staying in Poland.” Deputy Defense Minister Stanisław Wziątek told RMF FM that a permanent base would house about 4,000 to 5,000 troops. Warsaw’s target is roughly 15,000 U.S. personnel in the country, most of them still on rotation. About 6,000 to 10,000 American troops are there now, largely rotational. Polish reporting has put infrastructure costs above 15 billion zloty.

President Trump posted on Truth Social on Sept. 17 that “major progress is being made toward establishing a U.S. Army base in Poland” thanks to “the bold leadership of my friend, Karol Nawrocki.” “If this happens, the location will be announced very soon. This will be a historic step for our Great U.S./Polish Alliance.” An American delegation that included Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby visited Poland this month to look at sites. Washington recently approved $4 billion in military aid for Poland. Neither government has publicly named a location or issued a signed basing agreement.

The Fort Trump label dates to 2018, when then-President Andrzej Duda used it while asking the first Trump administration for a permanent armored presence. That offer was not taken up. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Warsaw revived the request. In May the Pentagon paused a 4,000-troop rotation to Poland, then reversed the pause. Trump later said the United States would send an additional 5,000 troops, tying the move to Nawrocki’s election. Washington is separately reviewing the roughly 80,000 U.S. troops stationed in Europe.

Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, speaking in New York, said the government and the president are working together on another permanent American base. He rejected the name Fort Trump as showing “uniżoność,” or excessive deference. He did not oppose the base itself. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Sept. 18 that Polish intelligence indicated Russia was planning drone and missile strikes on eastern NATO countries that Moscow could present as accidents. Fox News and other outlets reported a recent Russian helicopter incursion into allied airspace in the same period as Nawrocki’s interview.