In a surprise reversal of efforts to reduce the American military footprint in Europe, President Donald Trump said Thursday that the US will now be deploying an additional 5,000 troops to Poland.
The declaration came just days after the Trump administration said it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany and follows the Pentagon’s abrupt cancellation of a large training exercise in Poland.
The announcement also came on the heels of a Pentagon memo signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth temporarily halting the deployment of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team to Poland.
Trump made the troop announcement in a social media post and suggested it was connected to the election last year of nationalist president Karol Nawrocki.
🇺🇸🇵🇱 Trump announced 5,000 additional troops to Poland, citing last year’s election of President Karol Nawrocki, who he personally endorsed.
A week ago, Hegseth suddenly killed a scheduled 4,000-troop rotation to Poland.
But earlier this month, Trump ordered 5,000 troops out of… https://t.co/XlgzfTQjgx pic.twitter.com/QEhSmFjT5F
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 22, 2026
In his social media post, Trump said, “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.”
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US defense officials were stunned by Trump’s initial announcement that he would be pulling troops out of Germany following German chancellor Friedrich Merz’s public statement that Washington was “being humiliated by the Iranian leadership.”
Polish officials, including President Nawrocki and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, enthusiastically welcomed the news.
Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski told a defense conference in Warsaw earlier this month that additional US forces would “be welcome in Poland” regardless of where they were originally deployed.
At a foreign ministers’ meeting in Sweden, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the announcement, noting that Poland remains a leading ally, spending roughly 4.5 percent of its GDP on defense.
Currently, the US maintains a rotational presence of approximately 10,000 troops in Poland, supporting infrastructure and logistics via US Army Garrison Poland.
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