U.S. Troops in Poland: Deal Secured or Political Spin? The Truth

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:08]Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government claimed it has reached an agreement with Washington on maintaining the US military presence in Poland.

[00:00:16]Poland is viewed on Capitol Hill as a reliable, excellent model European partner and European ally with whom military cooperation should be developed by strengthening the American presence in Poland.

[00:00:27]I think Donald Tusk became scared of the consequences of his own narrative.

[00:00:30]Consequently, there is now an attempt, as he puts it, to cover his tracks. He himself isn't specifically covering those tracks, but Kaczyński and the deputy ministers who traveled to the United States are doing so, basking in the glory of their fame and claiming they've taken care of everything. The problem is that the whole situation looks as though the December 13th coalition is putting out a fire that it itself started, starting with the actions that Donald Tusk has been carrying out for years and continues to carry out.

[00:00:59]Through a comprehensive policy, undermining faith in the North Atlantic Alliance, undermining faith in Article 5. Well, many actions that would actually aim to push the Americans out of Europe. And it's not as if he's the only politician in Europe. There are other politicians in the West, too, who would like to limit the American presence in Europe.

[00:01:17]All this comes after the Pentagon announced a few days ago that it is suspending the transfer of 4,000 troops to Poland. They were supposed to replace those stationed in Poland as part of the US permanent rotational presence.

[00:01:31]It cannot be ruled out that this is a kind of signal to the government. Is it a yellow card, a warning? If you want to play the anti-American card, know that it may have negative consequences. On the other hand, we have been repeating for many months that yes, security depends on good relations between President Nawrocki and President Trump.

[00:01:48]Because how will the government respond to the 5,000 American soldiers who, according to President Trump's announcement, are to be withdrawn from Germany?

[00:01:57]Because if President Trump is saying publicly that he is ready for Poland to be a place where the number of US troops will be increased, and Donald Tusk says he won't take American troops away from Germany. So, who are we dealing with?

[00:02:08]Who is the head of the Polish government? And what does Donald Tusk's party have to say about this?

[00:02:13]On this matter, the entire Polish political class should pursue a single goal, to ensure that the number of American troops in Poland is as large as possible. From Germany? From Germany or any other country, but above all from the United States.

[00:02:27]And yet, from the United States.

[00:02:30]Instead of fostering Polish-American relations, Donald Tusk is damaging them.

[00:02:34]As a result, we are left with nothing but empty rhetoric. Donald Tusk recently stated that in the name of European solidarity, he would not take American soldiers from Berlin. Does this mean that Prime Minister Tusk would prefer them to return to the United States?

[00:02:49]A small American presence in Europe means a less secure Europe, which means a less secure Poland. I don't know why Prime Minister Tusk doesn't understand this, and is more guided by Berlin's interests, German interests and concerns about whether or not to take the soldiers away from our western neighbors, rather than by Polish interests or the interests of the entire European Union.

[00:03:08]That is why for the time being, there is no reliable information regarding the number of US troops that will be stationed in Poland.

[00:03:15]The number itself, whether it's 8,000, 10,000, 11,000 or 9,000, doesn't really matter. What matters is what they're armed with, what their intelligence capabilities are, or simply how they handle information, etc. And what they share with us. And in my view, that's more important, meaning the quality of these units, rather than their size.

[00:03:34]We can use the presence of a large contingent of US troops on Polish soil as an effective deterrent, which will ensure that Russia simply does not attack Poland, because that would be tantamount to an attack on the United States. The problem is that the current government wants to base security on so-called European solidarity, in the name of which it recently signed a loan agreement for over 100 billion from the EU's safe fund.

[00:03:56]This money will be used to rebuild the German arms industry. This money should be invested in the Polish arms industry.

[00:04:02]It should also serve to strengthen relations with the United States as American equipment is the best in the world. The government promised a loan interest rate of 3.17% but now, even before any money has arrived from Brussels, it turns out that it's already 3.32%.

[00:04:17]This program is structured in such a way that it is imprecise and unpredictable in every respect. Consequently, it carries significant financial and political risks. It seems that no one in the government knows what the interest rates will be on the next safe tranches, nor what the political conditionality stipulated in the terms of the EU loan will look like.

[00:04:36]We must remember that the entire safe loan mechanism makes us dependent on the arbitrary decisions of the European Commission and this means we won't be able to develop the Polish armed forces the way we want to, the way soldiers want us to. Interestingly, the current government also doesn't mention currency costs. After all, just government took out the loan from Brussels in euros.

[00:04:56]Those with loans in Swiss francs can attest to what exchange rate risk is.

[00:05:00]They borrowed specific amounts of money but had to repay two or three times more than they borrowed. So, if it turns out that by borrowing 180, we have to repay 360 or 640, only then will we see what a huge burden it is. It seems that the recent actions of the Tusk government, whether it's maintaining the US military presence in Poland or the supposedly secure loan from Brussels, which are meant to strengthen Polish security, are having the opposite effect.

[00:05:30]The controversial video shows activists kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir walks among them waving an Israeli flag and shouting at the detainees, saying among other things, "Welcome to Israel. We are the masters here."

[00:05:48]We were one of the last boats they stopped. So, when we arrived, there were already people there who had been detained since the previous day. And as soon as you entered the reception container, they beat you. That means they kicked me in the legs and hit me in the face. These are people who know what they're doing. So, I don't have any serious visible marks, but Among those detained were Italians, among others. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni quickly and firmly condemned the Israeli minister's actions, as well as the treatment of the detainees. The Israeli minister has nothing to reproach himself for. In fact, he himself posted the video that sparked the strong reaction.

[00:06:28]The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will immediately summon the Israeli ambassador to seek a formal explanation regarding the situation. It is unacceptable for activists, many of whom are Italian citizens, to be subjected to treatment that violates human dignity.

[00:06:43]The governments of the United States, France, Canada, and the United Kingdom, among others, have also spoken out in a similar vein. It shows a total disrespect and violation of basic standards of of human dignity in the way that people were being treated.

[00:07:01]Completely appalled, and we have sent a summons to the Israeli Embassy because we need the urgent explanation as to how this could happen. The Israeli Prime Minister strongly condemned the recording and the minister's actions.

[00:07:15]Israel has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza. However, the way that Minister Ben-Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel's values and norms. Among those detained were also two people from Poland. They are on their way back to the country. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the Israeli minister's actions and wants the Ministry of the Interior and Administration to issue a ban on Ben-Gvir entering Poland. Whether this will actually happen remains to be seen.

[00:07:50]In the democratic world, we do not abuse and gloat over people in custody. We demand justice for our citizens and consequences for you. More than 50 vessels participating in the so-called global freedom flotilla set sail from Turkey last Thursday toward the Gaza Strip. There were 430 people on board from over 40 countries. Their aid for Gaza is negligible. The cost of transporting hundreds of activists are enormous, and all the boats, just as in past months, are being intercepted by Israel. However, the flotilla is once again making headlines precisely because of the Israeli minister.

[00:08:26]Universal outrage and condemnation from every high-ranking Israeli official for despicable actions by Ben-Gvir. Flotilla was a stupid stunt, but Ben-Gvir betrayed the dignity of his nation.

[00:08:37]Itamar Ben-Gvir is a politician from the radical party Otzma Yehudit, or Jewish Power, one of several smaller national religious groups in Israel that, together with the main party, Prime Minister Netanyahu's right-wing Likud, forms the current government.

[00:08:57]Ben-Gvir has repeatedly sparked controversy and strong protests, including from his colleagues in the government. This is the case once again.

[00:09:06]You knowingly caused harm to our state, and this disgraceful display, and not for the first time, you have undone tremendous, professional, and successful efforts made by so many people, from IDF soldiers to Foreign Ministry staff and many others. No, you are not the face of Israel.

[00:09:25]There are many indications that Itamar Ben-Gvir's political career as a minister is coming to an end.

[00:09:30]Parliamentary elections are likely to be held in Israel as early as September, and maintaining the current balance of power in the Knesset seems unlikely.

[00:09:45]Dr. Peter Stafford had been working as a medical missionary in Bunia in eastern Congo for years. A few days ago he operated on a patient with severe abdominal pain. He didn't know it was Ebola because the outbreak hadn't yet been detected.

[00:09:59]To make matters worse, standard Ebola tests produced false negatives for the Bundibugyo strain. When the diagnosis came to light, he immediately isolated himself, but it was already too late. He developed a fever, chills, and muscle aches. He barely made it to the evacuation plane on his own supported by staff in full protective gear.

[00:10:18]He was admitted to a specialized isolation ward at Berlin's Charité, the same hospital that treated patients during the West African epidemic. His condition is stable. His wife, Rebecca, also a doctor, who had treated the same patient, landed in Berlin with their four children on Wednesday night. A convoy of ambulances and police escorted them to the hospital.

[00:10:40]Transportation is a risk that must be carried out with the strictest precautions. He is infected and symptomatic. One must always expect that his condition could worsen. This means that the transport must be as short as possible. In this regard, we are closer to the destination in Germany than in the United States.

[00:10:57]We also have a very well-developed system and network of specialized isolation wards in Germany, and we already have experience treating people infected with Ebola.

[00:11:06]The second exposed doctor, Patrick La Rochelle, was sent at the request of the United States to Prague to Bulovka Hospital, which has a specialized ward for highly contagious diseases. He has no symptoms so far, but he will spend 3 weeks there under observation.

[00:11:22]Meanwhile, yesterday an Air France flight from Paris to Detroit with over 300 passengers on board was forced to make an emergency landing in Montreal.

[00:11:30]There was a passenger from the DRC on board who, because of an airline error, had been allowed to board in violation of new US restrictions.

[00:11:39]To understand why the world is reacting with such gravity, you have to go to Arampara. It is one of the epicenters of the epidemic. There is still no vaccine for this strain of Ebola. The fatality rate reaches 50%.

[00:11:52]He told me his heart hurt and I thought it was his stomach. Then he started crying from stomach pain. After that, he started vomiting. Then he started bleeding and vomiting a lot.

[00:12:03]What is happening in in Wampura is happening simultaneously in dozens of places across Central Africa. The virus circulated unnoticed for weeks because the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been mired in the chaos of war for months. Ituri province has been marred with conflict for some years.

[00:12:21]But the last few months was even very intense. There was very intense fighting.

[00:12:29]And the last couple of months, even even more. In April, um I think the highest number of civilians killed.

[00:12:38]Um and more than 100,000 people newly displaced. You know, hundreds of thousands displaced in Ituri and live in camps.

[00:12:47]And displacement means not only displacement of the population, but of course including the health workers.

[00:12:56]And you know, health facilities cannot work optimally when um uh there is conflict and when the health workers are also fleeing as part of of course the community which is displaced.

[00:13:11]>> When samples were finally collected and the diagnosis confirmed, the scale of the outbreak surprised everyone.

[00:13:16]According to experts, the full picture could be terrifying. Um I have described uh this outbreak as being like an iceberg.

[00:13:25]We've seen the top of the iceberg. The top is as we get closer to it pretty large.

[00:13:33]Now, what we know about icebergs is it's bigger under the water than it is above the water. So, I think the WHO is now into the many hundreds of cases and hundreds of deaths. But, the truth of the matter is that real numbers will be much bigger than that. So, that is why everyone is so exercised about this. Um this this requires all hands on deck.

[00:13:54]The epidemic has long since spread beyond Ituri province. It has reached Goma, a city of over 2 million people and a strategic trade hub on the border with Rwanda. Rwanda has closed its borders. Epidemic alerts have been issued in Uganda and Burundi.

[00:14:09]This is a potentially devastating outbreak. Compare it with the West Africa Ebola outbreak from a decade ago.

[00:14:17]When that outbreak was first identified, there were 40 cases and it had been going on for weeks or months. When this outbreak is identified, there may be as many as 400 cases. It's already in two or three countries. It's in places that are very hard to access. So, this is going to be really tough to manage and that's why global collaboration is so very important.

[00:14:44]The World Health Organization assesses that the risk of a global epidemic remains low. Ebola is transmitted exclusively through close contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, not through the air. Poland's chief sanitary inspector to minister of foreign affairs advise against all travel to Central Africa. Berlin's Charité hospital has capacity for 20 patients at a time and is prepared for any scenario. But, the virus which spread unnoticed for weeks in Watsa, Congo has already forced a plane to land over the Atlantic and led to forced evacuations to European hospitals. How many more cases [music] lie hidden beneath the surface? Science has yet to answer that question.

[00:15:24]I'm okay.

[00:15:25]The US administration is accusing former Cuban leader Raul Castro of the murder of four Americans. The case dates back 30 years when two light aircraft were destroyed in an attack by Cuban fighter jets killing everyone on board. Some see this as justice being served after all these years. Others see it as pressure on Havana to overthrow the communist regime. 30 years ago members of the organization Brothers to the Rescue flew these exact kinds of planes between Cuba and Florida to help refugees who were fleeing to America in makeshift boats.

[00:16:00]One such mission ended in tragedy. The Cuban Air Force destroyed the defenseless civilian aircraft. These are images from the funeral of four crew members. Now America wants those responsible to be punished for this.

[00:16:11]Today we are announcing an indictment charging Raul Castro and several others with conspiracy to kill US nationals.

[00:16:25]Raul Castro, a 94-year-old former revolutionary, served as Minister of Defense in 1996. It was he who allegedly gave the order to launch the missiles.

[00:16:35]This isn't a show indictment. This is an indictment because we we expect that there was a warrant issued for his arrest. So we expect that that he will show up here by his own will or by another way.

[00:16:49]Refugees from Cuba are hoping for a repeat of the Venezuelan scenario when in early January this year in a daring operation American commandos dragged the country's dictator out of his heavily fortified compound. Now Nicolas Maduro is awaiting trial in New York.

[00:17:06]That's what happened with Maduro and there wasn't a single civilian casualty.

[00:17:10]The same can be done with Cuba. Many planes equipped with American technology have already flown over there and detected everything that needed to be detected on the island of Cuba. They already know where all the members of the Castro family are. The dictatorship is evil and a detriment to the entire Western Hemisphere. President Donald Trump agrees with this sentiment. He has repeatedly spoken of the need for change in Cuba and the overthrow of its communist regime. We'll see what happens, but uh we're freeing up Cuba.

[00:17:38]Should we expect any escalation here or should they expect anything? Yes. Uh no.

[00:17:44]No, you won't There won't be escalation.

[00:17:47]I don't think there needs to be.

[00:17:50]An external escalation may not be necessary because the communist system is crumbling from within. Such scenes are becoming increasingly common in Cuba. Burning barricades blocking entry into the city.

[00:18:02]Our economy has hit rock bottom. There's no investment to do anything and that's the reality we're left with.

[00:18:10]The situation is terrible. There's nothing we can do about it. These things happen and there's no solution in sight.

[00:18:18]It's because of the oil problem. There's no oil you see and we have to deal with the consequences of all this.

[00:18:24]These oil problems are the result of the US blockade on oil supplies, which has exacerbated the economic and humanitarian crisis that has been ongoing for years.

[00:18:49]The USA has offered the authorities in Havana 100 million US dollars in aid on the condition that the aid is distributed by the church and Catholic organizations. The head of the CIA, who visited Havana a week ago, discussed this aid as well as the future of US-Cuban relations. This is the first such visit in over 70 years. That is, since the communist revolution in Cuba.