U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated that an increase in American troop presence in Poland could be expected, aligning with Duda's hope for a permanent base known as 'Fort Trump'.

Currently, approximately 78,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe, with around 37,000 in Germany and about 10,000 in Poland on a rotational basis.

Concerns about potential troop withdrawals stem from U.S. President Donald Trump's demands for NATO allies to significantly increase defense spending, with a target of five percent of GDP.

The U.S. military presence in Poland has increased since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and further expanded following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Poland's President Andrzej Duda has reassured that the U.S. is not planning to withdraw troops from Europe, following discussions with U.S. officials.

Duda emphasized that there is no American intention to reduce military activities concerning security in Europe, particularly along NATO's eastern flank.

U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, is visiting Poland en route to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defense Minister Rustem Umjerow.

During a visit to troops in Stuttgart, Hegseth confirmed that there are no immediate plans to reduce troop numbers in Europe but noted a global review of military capabilities is underway.

Duda revived the proposal for a U.S. military base in Poland, dubbed 'Fort Trump', which he initially suggested during a 2018 visit to the White House.

Trump's administration has suggested the possibility of withdrawing about 20,000 U.S. soldiers from Europe, raising alarm among European nations.

Poland aims to maintain strong U.S. support for NATO amid growing concerns about Russian aggression in the region.

Duda expressed confidence in U.S. President Donald Trump's decisive leadership in efforts to end the war in Ukraine.