"Our positions have got closer," said Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski after a meeting in Warsaw with US arms control negotiator John Rood.

"Tomorrow we're going to negotiate all day. I can't predict the result, but it's clear that we're closer to the demands of Prime Minister Donald Tusk than we were a month ago," he added.

Earlier, Sikorski struck an equally optimistic note. "We are perhaps going to reap the reward of our efforts," he said.

Defence Minister Bogdan Klich, meanwhile, said the talks could be in what he called the final round.

"The American side has considerably softened its stance over recent days," he said. "We welcome that.

"They are much readier to accept Poland's two cardinal conditions," for substantial military aid."

Amid concerns about the potential risks of hosting the US silos, Warsaw has been pressing the United States to help upgrade the Polish armed forces, and notably to scale up the country's defences with a Patriot missile system.

It also wants a permanent presence of US troops on Polish soil.

Over the past 15 months, Poland has stuck firmly to its demand for extra security guarantees in return for hosting a US missile base. Polish and US negotiators last met in late July.

The shield plan is vehemently opposed by Russia, Warsaw's communist-era master, which has threatened to retaliate if Poland hosts a base. Washington insists the shield is directed against "rogue states", notably Iran.

Poland's arguments have been bolstered by the conflict between Russia and ex-Soviet Georgia, Sikorski said.

"Today we're facing a new international situation. The situation doesn't change our arguments but in my view reinforces them," he said.

"The rising international tension, which has caught us by surprise, makes security guarantees even more important than ever," he added.

Washington plans to base 10 interceptor missiles in Poland plus a radar facility in the neighbouring Czech Republic by 2011-2013 to complete a broader US system already in place in the United States, Greenland and Britain.

Moscow, however, dubs it a menace to its security aimed at undermining Russia's nuclear deterrent, and has vowed a firm response if the Czechs and Poles go ahead.

The Czech Republic and Poland were Soviet satellites until 1989, but became staunch US allies after the fall of communism, joining NATO in 1999.

While Prague signed a deal on hosting the radar in July, Washington's talks with Warsaw have been grinding on.

On Tuesday, Tusk had said that talks appeared to be "on the right track."

"The events in the Caucasus show clearly that such security guarantees are indispensable," he added.

"As soon as we are sure that Poland's security has been reinforced to the degree we want, we're not going to wait for hours to sign a deal," he pledged.

According to Polish media reports, Washington is prepared to give Poland one battery of Patriots and sell it five others at a cut price.

"I won't confirm or deny it," Sikorski said.

President Lech Kaczynski, a staunch supporter of the missile shield, was optimistic Wednesday. "This important issue for Poland will perhaps reach a happy end," he said.

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