Donald Trump has announced that the United States will deploy an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, just a week after the Pentagon suspended a planned deployment of 4,000 personnel to the country.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump linked the decision to Washington’s relationship with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom he publicly supported during Poland’s presidential election last year. The US president, however, did not clarify whether the newly announced troops were part of the previously delayed deployment or a separate military operation.
The announcement comes amid signals from the White House that the US intends to scale back its overall military presence in Europe as part of Trump’s “America First” foreign policy agenda. Earlier this month, Washington also disclosed plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany following tensions between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the conflict involving Iran.
Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO allies over what he describes as insufficient support for US-led efforts to pressure Iran, particularly regarding security concerns around the Strait of Hormuz. Foreign ministers from NATO member states are expected to meet in Sweden on Friday for a summit attended by Marco Rubio, where discussions are expected to focus on burden sharing among alliance members.
Speaking ahead of the summit, Rubio suggested that troop deployment issues would form part of the discussions, adding that Trump remained dissatisfied with some NATO partners. The US administration has not yet clarified whether the troops heading to Poland could be redeployed from Germany or drawn from other military units.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier described the cancellation of the original Poland deployment as only a “temporary delay,” insisting Washington remained committed to maintaining a strong military presence in the country. Poland has emerged as one of Trump’s closest European allies, with Nawrocki previously describing the US president as the only global leader capable of ending the war in Ukraine.
Melissa Enoch
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