WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has said the United States will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, just a week after the Pentagon cancelled a previously planned deployment of 4,000 troops to the country.
Writing on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump said the decision was based on the US relationship with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom he supported during last year’s presidential elections and who is a long-time ally of his.
Trump did not clarify whether the newly announced troops are part of the earlier cancelled deployment or represent a separate operation.
The NATO Secretary General welcomed the announcement ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers in Sweden.
Mark Rutte told reporters that the trajectory towards Europe becoming less reliant on the United States “will continue.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also described the announcement as “good news” for both countries, adding in a post on X: “I thank all those involved in this matter—President Nawrocki, the ministers, congressmen, and friends of Poland in the USA—for their effectiveness and unity of action.”
The US Defence Department had abruptly announced last week that it was cancelling the deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland, but Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth later clarified it was only a “temporary delay” and said Washington would continue to ensure it “retains a strong military presence” in the country.
The White House has recently signalled that it intends to reduce overall US troop levels in Europe as part of its “America First” policy agenda.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to push for increased burden-sharing from NATO allies during Friday’s talks in Helsingborg.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Rubio said the president’s view reflected disappointment with some NATO allies and their response to US operations in the Middle East.
He added that there are still areas of cooperation ongoing, citing the Poland troop announcement as an example.
Rubio said that the United States continues to have global commitments that require regular reassessment of troop deployments, stressing that the move “is not a punitive thing.”
Earlier, the BBC asked Rubio about unconfirmed reports suggesting the US could reduce its total troop numbers available for NATO defence in the event of an attack on an alliance member.
He said some of those issues would be discussed at the summit and added that Trump remained “very upset and disappointed” with NATO allies.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also welcomed the US decision to deploy additional troops to Poland, saying it benefits not only Poland’s security but the security of the entire alliance and therefore Germany as well.
Earlier this month, the United States announced it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany following a dispute between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the war with Iran.
It remains unclear whether the additional troops being sent to Poland are part of those withdrawn from Germany or represent a separate deployment.
Wadephul added on Friday that Germany is in ongoing discussions with the US about deploying long-range missile systems in Germany.
He said Germany is inviting the United States to continue with its previous plans in this regard.
Several Republican lawmakers in the US have criticised Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Germany, warning that it could send the wrong signal to Russia.
The US military presence in Germany remains its largest in Europe, with more than 36,000 troops currently stationed there, compared to around 12,000 in Italy and about 10,000 in the United Kingdom.
Trump had previously criticised Chancellor Merz over his suggestion that the US had been “humiliated” by Iran during negotiations to end the conflict in the Middle East. The US president has also been critical of NATO allies for not joining his efforts to pressure Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio also said on Friday that there had been “slight progress” in negotiations with Iran but did not provide further details.
He added that discussions are ongoing and said: “We await word on those conversations… I don’t want to exaggerate it, but there’s been a little bit of movement.”