President Donald Trump attends an occasion about loosening a federal refrigerant rule, within the Oval Workplace on the White Home, Thursday, Might 21, 2026, in Washington.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
disguise caption
toggle caption
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday mentioned the U.S. will ship an extra 5,000 troops to Poland, stirring confusion following weeks of fixing statements from Trump and his administration about lowering — not growing — the American army footprint in Europe.
The Trump administration has mentioned it was lowering ranges in Europe by about 5,000 troops, and U.S. officers confirmed about 4,000 service members have been not deploying to Poland. Trump’s social media announcement raises extra uncertainty for European allies which were blindsided by the modifications because the administration has complained about NATO members not shouldering sufficient of the burden of their very own protection and failing to do extra to assist the Iran battle.
“Based on the successful Election of the now President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who I was proud to Endorse, and our relationship with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” Trump mentioned on Fact Social.
Trump and the Pentagon have mentioned in current weeks that they have been drawing down not less than 5,000 troops in Germany after Chancellor Friedrich Merz mentioned the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian management and criticized what he known as a scarcity of technique within the battle.
Trump then informed reporters at first of the month that the U.S. could be “cutting a lot further than 5,000.”
As of final week, some 4,000 troops from the Military’s 2nd Armored Brigade Fight Crew, 1st Cavalry Division have been not en path to Poland. The Related Press reported that the canceled deployment was a part of an effort to adjust to Trump’s order to cut back the variety of troops in Europe. A deployment to Germany of personnel skilled to fireside long-range missiles additionally was halted.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers alike criticized the reductions as sending the flawed sign each to allies and Russian President Vladimir Putin through the 4-year-old battle in Ukraine.
Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska mentioned throughout a congressional listening to that he spoke with Polish officers and so they have been “blindsided.” He known as the choice “reprehensible” and mentioned it was “an embarrassment to our country what we just did to Poland.”
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell mentioned Tuesday that it was “a temporary delay” of the deployment of U.S. forces to Poland, which he known as a “model U.S. ally.” He mentioned it was a results of the U.S. lowering the variety of brigade fight groups assigned to Europe from 4 to a few and indicated the Pentagon nonetheless wanted to resolve which troops to station the place.
It was not clear whether or not that meant the brigade would resume its deployment to Poland, if extra troops on high of that rotational deployment could possibly be added, or whether or not there would nonetheless be a drawdown of U.S. troops in Europe however from a unique nation. The Pentagon referred requests for remark to the White Home, which didn’t instantly reply to messages looking for readability.
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth and Protection Undersecretary Elbridge Colby each spoke with with their Polish counterparts this week. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had mentioned Wednesday that he was completely happy to listen to “Washington’s declaration that Poland will be treated as it deserves.”
As of Tuesday, U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of each American and NATO forces in Europe, informed reporters in Brussels that “it will be 5,000 troops coming out of Europe.”
Trump’s announcement got here as Secretary of State Marco Rubio was on his method to Sweden to satisfy together with his NATO counterparts, who’ve been questioning the Trump administration’s insurance policies on diminished U.S. troop ranges in Europe.
“There seems to be no process to deliberating policies like troop withdrawals and deployments at the top,” mentioned Ian Kelly, a retired profession diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Georgia through the Obama and first Trump administrations and now teaches worldwide relations at Northwestern College in Illinois.
Kelly mentioned Rubio might have a troublesome time in explaining Trump’s wild swings to Europeans who’re craving certainty and consistency even when they could disagree.
“These are not well thought out decisions,” Kelly mentioned. “These are impulsive decisions based on Trump’s whims or what his advisors think are Trump’s whims.”
