Polish daily Rzeczpospolita reported on Tuesday that Washington had informally sounded out Warsaw about deploying one of its Patriot batteries to the Middle East, where American forces are in an increasing missile war with Iran. Polish government spokesperson Adam Szłapka referred questions to Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who did not confirm the Rzeczpospolita report but said Warsaw would not relocate its Patriots. Retired Lt. Col. Krzysztof Płatek said the US could only make such a request, not impose a decision, because the systems are already operated by the Polish military. Still, he warned that Washington may hold influence over future arms deliveries, adding to pressure in Warsaw to invest more heavily in domestic and European defense manufacturing.
