President Donald Trump and and Polish President Andrzej Duda signed a Joint Declaration on Advancing Defense Cooperation on Monday that will see the Poland host the United States Army and Air Force, as well as a Combat Training Center, a combat aviation brigade, a combat sustainment support battalion, and two special operations forces facilities.
The agreement was reached between President Duda and President Trump while at the United Nations in New York, New York and come after more than a year of discussions between the two countries about the future of military cooperation in Poland.
Media first reported in 2018 that President Duda wanted a permanent United States military installation in Poland, going as far as to offer to name a potential military installation “Fort Trump” to entice the American president.
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The move comes after actions from Russia and President Vladimir Putin that are considered by many to have increased tensions in central and eastern Europe, including the country annexing parts of Ukraine and Georgia.
In 2018, the Guardian reported on a joint press conference between President Duda and President Trump:
Trump spoke on the matter at a joint press conference on Tuesday with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, who had come to White House to press his government’s arguments for a base, which he jokily suggested could be called “Fort Trump”.
Trump said he agreed with Duda’s arguments that Russian actions, especially the seizure of parts of Georgia and Ukraine, warranted a tough response.
“I think it’s a very aggressive situation. I think that Russia has acted aggressively. They respect force. They respect strength, as anyone does. And we have the greatest strength in the world, especially now,” Trump said.
It is unclear if any of the new military facilities the United States will host in Poland will be titled “Fort Trump,” but it appears the flamboyant offer on behalf of President Duda was successful in enticing the Trump administration to create a permanent presence in the country.
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According to the press release written by the office of President Duda, the move proves “Poland and the United States” seek to “reaffirm their mutual commitment to seek to conclude the international agreements and arrangements necessary to enable enhanced infrastructure and defense cooperation,” and “These agreements will further strengthen our partnership and the security of the North Atlantic Treaty area.”
