The United States has abruptly cancelled the deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland, Euronews has confirmed, as part of a wider Pentagon plan to withdraw 5,000 soldiers from NATO territory in Germany. The decision, communicated to Polish officials on Wednesday evening, marks a significant shift in US force posture on the continent and underscores the fragility of transatlantic ties under the Trump administration.
The cancellation comes weeks after Washington announced the drawdown of US forces from Germany, a move triggered by a public feud between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Frederic Merz. Merz had characterised the US-Israeli military campaign in Iran as ill-conceived and suggested the White House had been “humiliated” by Tehran. Trump responded with a series of social media posts attacking Merz, urging him to focus on “fixing his broken country” rather than “interfering” in Iran negotiations.
The Pentagon subsequently declared it would remove at least 5,000 troops from bases across Germany over the next six to nine months. But in a twist, the US has now scrapped the rotational force that was due to replace those departing soldiers in Poland. A ceremony marking the deployment of the 1st Cavalry Division — known as “casing the colours” — was held on 1 May at Fort Hood, Texas, and military equipment was already in transit, underscoring how far advanced the tour was before it was aborted.
Limited Impact on NATO, but Disappointment in Warsaw
NATO officials insist the overall effect on the alliance’s military posture is limited. A senior NATO military official told Euronews that replenishment forces “do not factor into NATO’s deterrence and defence plans”. The official added: “NATO will continue to maintain a strong presence on its Eastern Flank.”
Nevertheless, the decision is likely to cause disappointment in Warsaw, where speculation had been mounting for weeks that some troops withdrawn from Germany could be redeployed to Poland — a country seen as crucial to protecting the alliance’s eastern flank against Russia. Polish President Karol Nawrocki had signalled the country’s readiness to host additional US forces, stating at a press conference in Bucharest: “If President Trump decides to relocate American troops from Germany, Poland is ready.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte sidestepped questions on the issue during the same press conference, which was part of a meeting of the B9 group of NATO allies — including Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states. “When you look at the US presence in Europe, it is still vast and massive,” Rutte said.
Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, sought to downplay the move. In a post on X on Thursday morning, he said the US decision was “related to the previously announced change in the presence of some US armed forces in Europe”. He added: “The rapidly developing capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces and the presence of US forces in Poland strengthen NATO’s eastern flank.”
European NATO allies have anticipated a reduction in US troop levels since Trump returned to office. Both the Pentagon and the White House had signalled they would review the global positioning of American forces, with NATO territory expected to be affected. The cancellation of the Polish deployment, however, raises questions about the reliability of US commitments to the alliance, particularly as NATO awaits clarity on the broader withdrawal plan from Germany.
The move also comes amid broader tensions within the alliance, including US troop withdrawal threats testing Italy's strategic alliance with Washington. For Poland, which has long sought a permanent US military presence as a deterrent against Russia, the cancellation is a setback — though Warsaw continues to invest heavily in its own armed forces, a point Kosiniak-Kamysz was keen to emphasise.
