Trump: US considering permanent military base in Poland

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Europe

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he is considering a request from Poland for a permanent US military presence in the fellow NATO country, acknowledging that he shares Poland's concerns about possible Russian aggression.

Polish President Andrzej Duda asked Trump for a permanent US base during a White House meeting, offering to name it "Fort Trump" and explaining it would be a bulwark against what he considers a threat from Russia.

Trump said he agreed with Duda that Moscow had "acted aggressively" in the region and said the request for a base was under consideration. He said he appreciated Duda's offer to put more than 2 billion US dollars into the project.

US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump welcome Polish President Andrzej Duda and his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda to the White House, Washington, US, September 18, 2018. /VCG Photo

"We're looking at it very seriously, I know Poland likes the idea very much, and it's something that we are considering, yes," Trump told reporters.

Moscow expressed concern in May over reports about Poland's request, saying NATO's expansion towards Russia's borders undermined stability in Europe.

Poland joined NATO in 1999 along with Hungary and the Czech Republic, and since then other former communist states, including Baltic republics bordering Russia, have joined despite Moscow's strong opposition.

An employee of GASCADE Gastransport GmbH walks along sections of steel pipes at the construction site of the Eugal Natural Gas Pipeline near Golssen, Germany, August 29, 2018. /VCG Photo

The two leaders also expressed shared concerns about Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline which they said could make Europe overly reliant on Moscow for energy and expose it to the risks of what Duda called "political blackmail" with shipments.

But Trump said his country was not looking to sanction companies that participated in the project with Russia.

"We just think it's very unfortunate for the people of Germany that their country is paying billions and billions of dollars a year for their energy to Russia," he added.

In a joint statement released later on Tuesday, after the press conference, Trump and Duda said they will continue coordinating efforts "to counter energy projects that threaten our mutual security, such as Nord Stream 2."

Trump also said the United States was considering a visa waiver programme for Poland.

Source(s): Reuters