Trump Reverses Course, Plans to Send 5,000 American Troops to Poland Just One Week After Canceling Deployment
Trump is reversing course and deploying 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland just one week after canceling a similar deployment, citing his relationship with Polish President Karol Nawrocki. The announcement contradicts recent signals that the admin
President Donald Trump has announced the U.S. will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, just a week after the Pentagon cancelled a planned deployment of 4,000 troops to the country. Trump posted on Truth Social that the decision is based on the U.S. relationship with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, a longtime Trump supporter whom Trump backed in recent elections. However, Trump did not clarify whether these forces are part of the original deployment plan or a separate operation, contradicting recent White House signals that the U.S. government intended to reduce overall troop numbers in Europe as part of Trump's "America First" policy. Earlier in May, the U.S. announced it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany following tensions between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over policy regarding Iran. Trump had previously criticized Merz, claiming the U.S. was outmaneuvered by Iranian negotiators. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the cancellation was a temporary postponement of the planned troop deployment, and the U.S. would maintain military presence in Poland. In a January interview with BBC's Today program, Polish President Nawrocki said Trump is the only world leader capable of stopping Russian President Vladimir Putin and ending the war in Ukraine. While Trump has criticized NATO allies and other European leaders in the past, Nawrocki emphasized that the U.S. remains the guarantor of European security.