Poland wants to pay for every American servicemember stationed at the permanent base proposed by Warsaw

Poland has offered to pay the United States $15,000 annually for each U.S. service member stationed at a permanent base that would be built on its territory. Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski said Friday in Washington that talks with the Pentagon had entered the implementation stage.

According to the official, Warsaw will also cover the infrastructure costs, while the financial contribution will be paid by Polish taxpayers. Zalewski said the decision to establish the base had already been made and that the forces, capabilities, and possible locations were currently being assessed. The Pentagon has not confirmed the information, however, and said it had nothing to announce.

Poland has been promoting the idea of a permanent U.S. base for approximately eight years. Around 10,000 U.S. service members are currently in the country, most on rotational missions, while the new base could accommodate approximately 5,000 soldiers.

Warsaw believes that a permanent presence would signal to Russia that an attack on Poland could trigger a direct confrontation with the United States. Experts warn, however, that the deterrent effect would depend on maintaining a substantial U.S. military presence elsewhere in Europe.