US military base in Poland should be discussed by NATO: US Defense Secretary

Mattis declined to confirm whether he supports the base being set up in Poland, saying: "We are working out the details".

Błaszczak was quoted by public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency as saying that Poland's proposal concerning the construction of the base was "well received", adding that the US had also come up with a precise proposal.

"It is a step forward," Błaszczak said.

On Wednesday, Poland's defence minister was scheduled to discuss the US military presence in Poland with members of Congress.

During his previous trip to Washington at the end of last month, Błaszczak held talks with US President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser John Bolton as part of a flurry of efforts by the government in Warsaw to have more US troops stationed in Poland amid fears of Russian aggression.

Błaszczak said at the time that he “was told there is support” for a new permanent American army base in Poland.

Błaszczak told reporters he was optimistic about talks on setting up what officials and the media have dubbed “Fort Trump” – in honour of the US president – in Poland.

Poland already hosts US troops on a rotating basis as part of NATO, and the Polish section of a US missile defence shield over Europe is being built by the Americans at Redzikowo in the north of the country.

Senior Polish parliamentarian Adam Bielan said last month that a decision on a possible new permanent US troop presence in Poland was likely to be made next year.

Błażej Spychalski, a spokesman for Polish President Andrzej Duda, said at the end of September that Warsaw wanted to spend about USD 2 billion to build infrastructure for American soldiers in Poland, including housing, educational and medical facilities.

Poland's Deputy Defence Minister Wojciech Skurkiewicz said on Wednesday that the Pentagon was working on a report on whether the US base in Poland was possible.

"A lot depends on that document," Skurkiewicz said. (tf/vb)

Source: IAR