Polish President Karol Nawrocki has revived a proposal to establish a permanent U.S. military base in Poland named "Fort Trump" as Warsaw pushes to strengthen NATO's eastern flank amid continued Russian incursions into allied airspace.
Nawrocki said that he was confident Warsaw and Washington would reach a deal on the base, which Poland has sought as part of its effort to secure a long-term American troop presence and boost defenses against Russia.
"I hope that when work on the base is completed, President Trump will be able to personally attend the inauguration of 'Fort Trump,'" Nawrocki said in New York Sept. 22.
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The proposal dates back to 2018, when Nawrocki's predecessor, President Andrzej Duda, suggested naming a permanent U.S. military installation in Poland "Fort Trump" as part of an effort to secure a lasting American military presence in the country.
The urgency behind Warsaw's push this month was underscored within hours of Nawrocki's remarks in New York, when a Russian Mi-8 military helicopter briefly penetrated Polish airspace from Russia's Kaliningrad region.
Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski also mentioned the issue during a briefing with Polish media following his address to the U.N. Security Council in New York on Wednesday.
According to the Polish Army Operational Command, the helicopter entered Polish territory north of the town of Braniewo at 11:08 a.m., reaching a maximum depth of about 300 meters.
The Russian aircraft remained in Polish airspace for 42 seconds before exiting.
Polish radar systems tracked the helicopter throughout the incursion, prompting fighter aircraft to scramble while ground-based air defense units were placed on standby.
Polish military authorities said the brief violation indicated Moscow was once again testing the readiness and response times of NATO air defenses.
The incident adds urgency to Poland's push for a permanent U.S. military base. Nawrocki acknowledged that specific deadlines have not yet been established because administrative and financial details are unresolved.
"It's hard for me to give specific dates, but I think this matter has been definitively confirmed, because President Trump is known for keeping his word," Nawrocki said.
"Infrastructure preparation is progressing. In fact, the appropriate infrastructure is already being selected," he told Bloomberg.
Nawrocki also called the establishment of the base "only a matter of time" and seemed optimistic that construction could be completed before Trump's term ends in 2029.
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Deputy Defense Minister Stanisław Wziątek had also mentioned establishing the U.S. base, with the remaining question being the precise location, according to reports.
Wziątek said the installation would likely host between 3,000 and 5,000 U.S. troops.
Poland ultimately hopes to host "around 15,000" American troops, building on the roughly 10,000 U.S. troops currently stationed in the country, largely on a rotational basis.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned Sept. 18 that, according to intelligence available to Warsaw, Russia was planning drone and missile strikes against eastern NATO countries that Moscow could present as accidental, The Associated Press reported.
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Russian drones have repeatedly entered NATO airspace and crashed on alliance territory, including in Poland and Romania, while NATO countries have scrambled fighter aircraft in response to Russian aerial activity near their borders over the years.
Trump had also signaled progress in strengthening the U.S.-Polish military relationship, calling the developments on a base a "historic step for our Great US/Polish Alliance" and indicating on Truth Social that further details could be announced.
"Thanks to the bold leadership of my friend, Karol Nawrocki, President of Poland, major progress is being made towards establishing a US Army base in Poland," Trump said Sept. 17.
