{"id":60888,"date":"2019-01-28T20:47:56","date_gmt":"2019-01-28T20:47:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/01\/28\/report-puts-cold-water-on-polish-fort-trump-idea\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T20:56:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T20:56:24","slug":"report-puts-cold-water-on-polish-fort-trump-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2019\/01\/28\/report-puts-cold-water-on-polish-fort-trump-idea\/","title":{"rendered":"Report puts cold water on Polish \u2018Fort Trump\u2019 idea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BRUSSELS \u2014 A new report warns Poland against the temptation of relying on a \u201cFort Trump\u201d to guard against the threat of Russian aggression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recommendation by Friends of Europe, a leading think tank here, comes after the Polish government has lobbied Washington to permanently station American troops at a base in the NATO country, to be named after the American president. Warsaw\u2019s aspirations were met with skepticism in Europe and by some U.S. defense experts, who fear that such a move could been seen as questioning the alliance\u2019s commitment to collective defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The think tank\u2019s report contends that Poland is led by a \u201creclusive politician haunted by feelings of national insecurity and historical grievance.\u201d According to the study, the chairman of the ruling party Law and Justice, Jaros\u0142aw Kaczy\u0144ski, sees enemies and threats everywhere and safety, if at all, only in the \u201ctightest possible\u201d bilateral defence relationship with the United States rather than in the \u201ccollective embrace\u201d of European partners and NATO allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The analysis follows what many in Europe view as a reversal in Poland from post-Cold War liberalism to a heavy-handed government exhibiting non-democratic traits. Last month, the Washington Post published an exhaustive report from Eastern and Central Europe that included Poland in a line-up of \u201cnew autocrats\u201d digging in across the continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\t