(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump plans to make an announcement Wednesday on U.S. troop commitments in Poland after discussions about establishing a military base that the country’s president has dubbed “Fort Trump.”
The announcement will come as Polish President Andrzej Duda meets with Trump at the White House, according to administration officials.
The officials, who briefed reporters on Tuesday on condition of anonymity, wouldn’t say whether there would be an announcement about the base or preview any details about the troop commitment. But they said it would enhance the U.S. commitment to NATO.
They declined to say whether the announcement will involve the permanent stationing of U.S. troops in Poland. They also declined to say whether Trump will visit Poland later this year as part of the new commitment. Andrzej Dera, a minister at Duda’s chancellery in Warsaw, confirmed that a deal would be signed.
“President Duda intents to sign an agreement that substantially boosts the U.S. military presence in Poland,” Dera told broadcaster Polsat News on Wednesday. “It will be a boost to infrastructure and troops, but it won’t be a classic base like the U.S. has Ramstein in Germany.”
While the announcement is expected to fall short of initial aspirations of Polish leaders who asked American officials for the permanent stationing of a full Army brigade, it will be touted as a political success and geopolitical game changer as it foresees an enduring presence of U.S. troops.
Polish media earlier reported the deal bolsters some 4,000 troops the U.S. now rotates in and out of Poland by over 1,000 soldiers and envisages the European Union’s largest eastern member will cover the cost of upgrades of military infrastructure and related utility bills.
“Security is priceless and we can afford it,” Dera said.
Trump and Duda plan to take questions about the announcement at a joint news conference at the White House, planned for 2:10 p.m. local time. Duda’s visit comes 20 years after Poland joined NATO.
While Trump regularly criticizes NATO allies for not spending enough toward their own defense, his administration has held up Poland as an example for meeting the goal of spending 2% of its gross domestic product on military and security issues.
The president also has expressed enthusiasm for Duda, who like Trump has stoked his base with anti-migrant and nationalist rhetoric. Duda also has repeatedly clashed with EU leaders over rule of law issues. The U.S. will continue to press Poland’s government on rule of law and human rights issues, but these are not being explicitly tied to any expanded U.S. military commitment, the U.S. administration officials said.
Also on the agenda when the presidents meet: trade, energy security and communications security, including U.S. efforts to block Huawei Technologies Co.’s access to 5G networks in Europe. Officials said the U.S. is poised to sell Poland F-35s, after Poland submitted a letter of request. The U.S. is working through a formal process to present an offer.
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