Poland’s Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz has spoken up against the idea of moving US troops from Germany to Poland, a notion recently floated by the top American diplomats in the two countries.
“For sure we will never strive for it! American troops in Germany also serve the security of Poland”, the head of the Polish Foreign Ministry told the local outlet Rzeczpospolita.
He pointed out that this contingent is in reserve in case Poland is ever attacked by Russia, noting that their deterrence potential and effectiveness should be a decisive factor.
The debate in Poland and Germany was triggered by an interview with US Ambassador to Berlin Richard Grenell, who stated that it was “insulting to expect that the US taxpayer pays for more than 50,000 Americans in Germany, but the Germans use their trade surplus for domestic purposes”. He backed Donald Trump’s idea to relocate troops from Germany to Poland, which the US president has floated before.
This echoed the opinion of US envoy to Poland Georgette Mosbacher, who had noted that Warsaw meets its payment obligation of 2% of GDP, as agreed upon within NATO, while Berlin does not, so it would be better if American troops would go to Poland.
Trump has persistently criticised Germany’s reluctance to comply with the recommended goal since taking office. He has also previously suggested that reinforcing American forces stationed in Poland with 2,000 additional troops should be done by taking them from among those already based in Germany.