US in Talks With Poland Over Sending More Troops

On Wednesday, US officials confirmed talks are ongoing with the Polish government over requests for larger, permanent deployments of US ground troops in Poland. Nominally, these troops are part of a long-term deployment aimed at Russia.

Poland wants a permanent US base above and beyond the US troops already deployed in the country. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says that no decisions have been made, and that the US is still “taking a look at” the proposal.

Pompeo suggested that there would be more troops, saying that the goal is to make sure the US has the “right number of troops and the right mix of folks” in the country. Polish officials say they want a large number more troops, saying it passes the “hundreds” mark.

Pompeo said the US takes the request seriously “as we enter the fifth year of Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine – a war he launched of European soil.” Ukraine predicted Russia was about to invade all of Europe, an invasion which never ultimately happened, but which has continued to serve as a pretext for US and NATO military buildups across the region.