Poland welcomes US troop levels ahead of NATO Ankara summit

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on Friday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s decision to maintain American troop rotations in Poland at existing levels, thanking Washington for the commitment as he arrived for NATO talks in Sweden ahead of the alliance’s upcoming summit in Ankara.

NATO's top defense spender

Sikorski credited Poland’s reputation as a country that “takes defense seriously” with helping to secure continued US engagement within the alliance. He noted that Warsaw, alongside Lithuania, ranks as NATO’s highest defense spender relative to GDP — allocating 4.7% last year and 4.8% this year.

Ukraine support and Ankara preparations

The Polish minister also expressed optimism regarding developments in Ukraine, stating that Kyiv had received additional resources from the European Union while US-made weapons financed by European partners continued to flow to the battlefield. “Things are looking up,” Sikorski said, adding that Moscow should recalculate its strategy given the sustained Western support.

Friday’s ministerial gathering in Sweden is focused on preparations for the NATO summit in Ankara, where allied leaders are expected to discuss burden-sharing, regional security challenges, and further assistance for Ukraine. The meeting brings together foreign ministers from the 32-member alliance to finalize the agenda for the leaders' gathering in Türkiye's capital.