Poland seeks to host 15,000 US troops

Poland is seeking to host about 15,000 U.S. troops on its territory, its deputy defense minister said Monday, days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced "major progress" toward establishing a permanent U.S. military base in the country, reported Xinhua.

"We are talking about an eventual target of 15,000 soldiers," Deputy Defense Minister Stanislaw Wziatek told Polish radio station RMF FM.

The planned force would include about 4,000 to 5,000 troops stationed at a permanent military base, along with another 10,000 to 11,000 deployed on a rotational basis, Wziatek said.

According to Wziatek, the intended U.S. force would be "built up in stages" by 2039. Poland currently hosts between 6,500 and 7,000 U.S. troops on a rotational basis, he added.

Earlier in September, a U.S. delegation led by Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno visited Poland for talks on potential sites for the permanent U.S. military base.

The United States was also conducting a six-month review of its military presence in Europe, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.