The US recently announced it would be deploying an extra 1000 troops to Poland, in addition to the 4,500 currently stationed there on a rotational basis. This is part of a wider agreement, titled the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which was signed by both Mike Pompeo (US Secretary of State) and Mariusz Blaszczak (Poland’s Defence Minister) on 15th August 2020.
In a statement from the White House, President Trump stated the function of the agreement was “to further strengthen NATO deterrence, bolster European security, and help ensure democracy, freedom, and sovereignty”. The deployment has been described as part of a wider plan to help the US better address potential threats from Russia and China by US Defence Secretary Mark Esper.
“Russia has already criticised the movement of troops as too aggressive, and it is likely that the establishment of a permanent base would lead to a response from Putin.”
The details of the agreement were discussed by President Trump and Poland’s leader President Duda on a trip to the White House last summer. During the visit, Duda made clear his desire for the US to build a permanent military base in Poland, and offered to pay the initial building costs (around £1.5 billion), but was met with no commitment from Trump, who told reporters that a permanent base “would certainly be a statement”. Russia has already criticised the movement of troops as too aggressive, and it is likely that the establishment of a permanent base would lead to a response from Putin.
The official signing of the agreement comes after Trump announced he is removing nearly half the troops currently deployed in Germany, criticising Angela Merkel for not providing NATO with enough funding and paying for Russian energy. He claims the German Government should be paying 2% of GDP and currently only pays just over 1%, and condemned Germany as reliant on the US to defend them against Russia, while also spending millions on Russian energy.
Trump made his announcement during another of President Duda’s visits to the US, while Angela Merkel chose to skip the most recent G7 summit in Washington this summer. As America’s relationship with Germany deteriorates, Poland may expect to move up from its current rank at number 37 of the US’ top trade partners, closer to Germany’s spot in the top 5. However, the US currently has a deficit of over $26 billion with Germany, compared to just $1.71 billion with Poland, and even with a 3% rise in imports from Poland to the USA this year, and the EDCA including promises to further trade ties between the two nations, Germany remains an important ally for the US.
Figures from https://www.ustradenumbers.com/
Beth Ure
Featured image courtesy of Gerd Altmann via Pixabay. No changes were made to this image.