U.S. will "no doubt" increase troops in Poland: Defense Minister Blaszczak

There is "no doubt" the presence of U.S. troops in Poland will be increased, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Monday.

"We are on the right path to achieve this success," said the minister.

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak speaks during U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's arrival in Warsaw, Poland, February 13, 2019. [Photo: VCG]

John Rood, the Pentagon's policy chief, is expected to announce the U.S. troop increase in Warsaw in a few days, the Polish daily Rzeczpospolita reported Monday.

According to the paper, the American offer will be better than expected. The U.S. is considering the deployment of its command staff in the Polish city of Poznan. A two- or three-star general could coordinate U.S. actions on NATO's eastern flank, reported the paper.

The U.S. is considering making permanent the presence of its Air Force in Lask and Miroslawiec, as well as of its special troops in Krakow, the media report said.

"I feel personally responsible for the increase in American military presence in Poland," Defense Minister Blaszczak told Polish Radio on Monday, referring to numerous discussions he had in the past with the American side about the issue.