Poland rejects hosting nuclear weapons while courting more permanent US troops

At a press briefing in Brussels, Deputy Defence Minister Pawel Zalewski declared that Poland does not want nuclear warheads on its territory, while still supporting NATO's nuclear deterrence. He clarified that participation in the deterrent does not require hosting the weapons. Zalewski also expressed Poland's desire to increase the permanent U.S. military presence, referencing President Donald Trump's earlier announcement of sending an additional 5,000 soldiers.

His comments came as Washington conducts a six-month review of its European force posture, with a document outlining at least four options for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to consider by November 6. Zalewski framed the Trump decision as a tool to improve European security and aligned it with the Pentagon's NATO 3.0 concept, emphasizing the need for conventional European defense backed by the United States. He reiterated that the starting point for this discussion is the public message about a permanent troop boost.