Poland pushes for permanent US base as NATO logistics face Romanian delays

Poland announced a plan to establish a permanent United States military base on its territory, aiming to move beyond the current rotational deployment of roughly 10,000 American troops. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the initiative will create a financial and infrastructure framework, with the defence ministry already requesting a formal proposal from U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Poland currently contributes about €140 million a year to the U.S. contingent and views a permanent base as a strategic guarantee for regional security on NATO’s eastern flank.

In Romania, former NATO commander General Dorin Toma publicly accused the newly designated prime minister Adrian Veștea of causing severe delays in critical NATO infrastructure projects, notably the bridge over the Olt River at Voila. Toma said the stalled bridge forced heavy NATO convoys to use improvised, longer routes, inflating logistical costs and risking equipment damage during exercises such as DACIAN SPRING 25 and DACIAN FALL 25. He warned that inadequate local road capacity and bureaucratic blockages undermine NATO’s mobility in the region.