Trump plans ‘significant’ troop announcement for Poland

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda were to announce higher US troop levels in Poland on Wednesday, with the main question being whether Washington will defy Russian objections to establish an American base in the NATO country.

A senior Trump administration official said the White House meeting would see the two leaders make “a significant announcement.” Whether Trump will risk irritating Moscow with a base or take the simpler option of adding more troops to the current non-permanent force was unclear. Located deep in what used to be Soviet-dominated eastern Europe, Poland is a member of NATO but has long wanted deeper US commitment. Spooked by resurgent Russia´s seizing control of territory in Georgia and Ukraine over the last decade, Duda has tried to charm the US president, even touting the idea of Poland building a “Fort Trump” to house thousands of US soldiers. Krzysztof Szczerski, an adviser to the Polish president, said the general concept of a “Fort Trump” was on the agenda Wednesday and that the US presence “will increase both in quality as well as quantity.”