M. Bosack told the state radio that the negotiations between Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and Washington on the technical aspects of such a decision have been ongoing for several months.
According to the deputy minister, the result will depend not only on whether the US chooses Poland as the location for a permanent base, but also on a broader review of the US military presence in Europe, which Washington has mentioned plans to reduce.
“This decision will most likely be made in the fall,” said M. Bosack. “We believe that both strategically and considering the current state of political relations, the likelihood that this base will be established is quite high.”
If such a decision is made, the base will be built in western Poland and will be funded solely by Warsaw, he added.
Poland has long sought to replace the rotational US military presence in the country with a permanent one.
Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said in June that the Pentagon had preliminarily agreed to Warsaw’s proposal and is conducting a “force review” before making a final decision.
In mid-July, Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk announced that the ministry would form a negotiation group to discuss the details of establishing a permanent military base in Poland with US officials.
