Poland Does Not Want Nuclear Warheads on Its Territory, but Seeks a Stronger US Role in European Defence

Poland does not plan to host nuclear warheads on its territory, despite Warsaw’s push for a stronger permanent US military presence in the country. Polish Deputy Defence Minister Paweł Zalewski said on August 27 that Poland does not want nuclear weapons stationed on its soil.

“Poland does not want to have nuclear warheads on its territory,” Zalewski said at NATO headquarters in Brussels, responding to a question about whether a future US military presence could include nuclear weapons.

At the same time, Warsaw is not seeking to distance itself from NATO’s nuclear deterrence system. Zalewski stressed that participating in the Alliance’s nuclear deterrence does not necessarily mean physically hosting nuclear warheads.

Warsaw wants more US troops

Poland’s position comes as NATO members debate the future security architecture of Europe and the long-term role of the United States in the Alliance.

Zalewski said Warsaw wants a larger permanent US military presence in Poland as Washington reviews the deployment of its forces across Europe. The Pentagon is conducting a six-month Force Posture Review that will assess possible changes to the US military footprint on the continent.

For Warsaw, the issue is not simply the number of American troops stationed in Poland. It is also about maintaining the United States as a central pillar of European deterrence.

Zalewski described a potential increase in the US presence as an important element of European security and linked it to the idea of “NATO 3.0”. Under this approach, European allies would take greater responsibility for conventional military capabilities, while the United States would remain a critical partner in sustaining Europe’s defence.

Trump promised 5,000 additional troops

The debate also follows US President Donald Trump’s pledge to increase the American military presence in Poland.

In May, Trump said the United States intended to deploy around 5,000 additional US troops to Poland on a permanent basis. Zalewski described that announcement as the starting point for Warsaw’s current expectations.

For Poland, the US military presence has particular importance because of its position on NATO’s eastern flank. The country borders Ukraine and Belarus and lies close to Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave.

Warsaw is therefore seeking to strengthen its own armed forces while ensuring that the US military commitment to the region remains long-term.

Nuclear deterrence remains a separate issue

Rejecting the deployment of nuclear warheads does not mean that the nuclear question has disappeared from Polish security policy.

On the contrary, debate over nuclear deterrence has intensified in Poland as the European security environment has changed. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has previously raised the question of strengthening Poland’s protection through nuclear deterrence and discussed the possibility of deeper cooperation with France and its nuclear capabilities.

Poland has also considered a greater role in NATO’s nuclear deterrence arrangements. That is fundamentally different from acquiring its own nuclear weapons or hosting American warheads on Polish territory.

Warsaw’s current position is therefore relatively clear: Poland wants to remain covered by the broader NATO nuclear deterrence system, but does not want its territory to become a permanent storage site for nuclear weapons.

Conventional forces remain the priority

At the same time, Poland continues to invest heavily in conventional military capabilities. Warsaw has become one of Europe’s biggest defence spenders and is seeking additional European financing for its military build-up.

Earlier this month, Zalewski said Poland was interested in securing additional funding through the EU’s SAFE defence programme. Warsaw has already agreed to a €43.7 billion loan under the scheme to strengthen its defence capabilities.

The approach reflects the broader direction of Polish defence policy. Warsaw is not relying on nuclear deterrence alone. Its strategy combines rapid military modernisation, a larger US presence and stronger collective defence mechanisms within NATO.