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US to send 5,000 more troops to Poland, Trump says
TL;DR
President Trump announced the deployment of an additional 5,000 US troops to Poland, following the cancellation of a previous plan for 4,000 troops. This decision is linked to Trump's support for Polish President Karol Nawrocki.
Key points
- Trump announced 5,000 additional troops to Poland
- Previous plan for 4,000 troops was cancelled
- Decision linked to Trump's support for Polish President Nawrocki
- US aims to reduce overall troop levels in Europe
- 5,000 troops also being withdrawn from Germany
Mentioned in this story
Donald TrumpKarol NawrockiPentagonWhite HouseFriedrich Merz
President Donald Trump has said the US will be sending an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, a week after the Pentagon cancelled a planned deployment of 4,000 troops to the country.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said the decision was based on the US's relationship with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom he backed during presidential elections last year.
The US president did not provide further details on whether the additional troops were part of the previous planned deployment or a different operation.
The White House has signalled in recent weeks that it intends to reduce its overall troop levels in Europe as part of its "America First" agenda.
Earlier this month, the US also announced it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany after a row between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the war with Iran.
Trump previously criticised Merz over his suggestion that the US had been "humiliated" by Iranian negotiators.
It is unclear whether the additional troops for Poland were part of those withdrawing from Germany or a separate group.
He has also been critical of Washington's Nato allies for their unwillingness to join the US in pressuring Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump's announcement on Thursday comes a week after the defence department abruptly said it was cancelling the deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth later said the cancellation was "a temporary delay" of the planned deployment and the US will continue to ensure it "retains a strong military presence" in Poland.
Nawrocki has long been a staunch Trump supporter and earned his endorsement before winning Poland's presidential election.
Speaking to the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme in January, the Polish president said Trump is the only world leader capable of stopping Vladimir Putin and ending the war in Ukraine.
Despite Trump's previous criticism of the Nato alliance and his European counterparts, Nawrocki insisted the US was still the guarantor of security in Europe.
Several Republican lawmakers have previously criticised Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Germany, saying it risked sending the wrong message to Russia.
The US military deployment in Germany is by far its biggest in Europe, currently at more than 36,000 active duty troops compared to about 12,000 troops in Italy and a further 10,000 in the UK.
Q&A
Why did Trump decide to send more troops to Poland?
Trump's decision to send more troops to Poland is based on his relationship with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom he supported during last year's elections.
What happened to the previous plan to send 4,000 troops to Poland?
The Pentagon cancelled the planned deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland just a week before Trump's announcement of the additional 5,000 troops.
How does this troop deployment fit into US military strategy in Europe?
The troop deployment comes amid a broader intention by the White House to reduce overall US troop levels in Europe as part of its 'America First' agenda.
