Poland hails continued US troop presence ahead of NATO summit in Ankara

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on Friday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s decision to maintain the rotation and presence of American troops in Poland at "more or less previous levels."

Speaking at the doorstep of NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Sweden, Sikorski thanked Trump and US officials involved in the decision, as well as Polish authorities.

“I want to thank President Trump for his announcement that the rotation, the presence of American troops in Poland will be maintained more or less at previous levels,” Sikorski said, ahead of the alliance’s upcoming summit in Ankara.

Sikorski said Poland’s reputation as a country that “takes defense seriously” had also helped reinforce ties within the alliance.

He highlighted Warsaw’s defense spending, saying Poland, together with Lithuania, is the largest spender in NATO as a share of GDP.

“Poland, as you know, together with Lithuania, is the largest spender in NATO, 4.7% of GDP last year, 4.8% this year,” he said.

Sikorski also expressed optimism about developments related to Ukraine, saying Kyiv had received additional support from the EU while US-made weapons financed by Europe were continuing to flow.

“Things are looking up. We hope that Vladimir Putin recalculates now that Ukraine has been granted additional resources by the European Union, and that weapons are flowing for which Europe pays,” he said.

The ministerial meeting in Sweden is focused on preparations for the NATO summit in Ankara, where allied leaders are expected to discuss defense spending, support for Ukraine, and regional security challenges.