Pentagon Examining Area in Poland for New US Military Base - Mattis

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US military officials are inspecting the available area in Poland for establishing a new American military base, Defense Secretary James Mattis told reporters.

President Donald Trump during a meeting with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda last week said the United States was considering a request from Warsaw to establish a US military base in Poland. Trump said Duda offered to pay more than $2 billion toward the cost of the base.

"We are determining… the ‘carrying capacity’ of what is being offered," Mattis said on Monday. "We’re in that exploratory phase… We’ve made no decisions."

Mattis said US officials are sizing up what Poland can actually hold and sustain and assessing if it can meet requirements for maintenance, test flights, and firing ranges.

Mattis said Washington values the offer of the Polish government, but the United States will consult with its regional partners before making a final determination on this matter.