Poland to lobby for permanent rotational U.S. troop increase

WARSAW (Reuters) – Poland’s Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau will lobby the United States for a proposed U.S. troop increase to remain in the country permanently on a rotational basis, a Polish official said on Thursday ahead of Rau’s visit to Washington this week.

President Joe Biden’s administration announced on Wednesday the deployment of nearly 3,000 American troops to eastern Europe in the coming days amid a standoff with Russia over Ukraine, moving to shield NATO allies from potential spillover if war erupts. Around 1,700 of those troops are meant to come to Poland, Poland’s Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak and the Pentagon said on Wednesday, but only on a temporary basis.

“It’s natural that Polish diplomacy is looking to broaden the allied presence in the form of a permanent rotation,” Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz told Reuters. “The current security situation means the need to strengthen this policy of deterrence is even more pressing.”

Rau is traveling to Washington on Thursday to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken Friday to decide on when and where the U.S. troops are meant to be stationed in Poland, as well as potential sanctions towards Russia.