NATO allies and defense officials expressed dismay on Friday at US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would send 5,000 US troops to Poland weeks after ordering the same number of troops from Europe.
The apparent change of heart came after weeks of statements from Trump and his administration about reducing — not expanding — the US military footprint in Europe. Trump’s first order sparked chaos among military leaders and left allies already skeptical of America’s commitment to European security to consider what forces they might push back on NATO’s eastern flank with Russia and Ukraine.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration said it was reducing levels in Europe by about 5,000 troops, and US officials confirmed that about 4,000 service members were no longer being deployed to Poland. The sending to Germany of American personnel trained to fire long-range missiles was also suspended.
But in a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump said he would send “5,000 troops to Poland,” citing his strong relationship with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom Trump endorsed in last year’s election.
“It’s really confusing, and it’s not always easy to navigate,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told reporters at a Friday meeting held by her NATO colleagues, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Ministers from the Netherlands and Norway were surprised by Trump’s latest move, as was Latvia’s Foreign Minister, Baiba Braže, who said the allies were aware that the US military “is being reassessed, and now there is no change in posture. For now.”
American defense officials also expressed confusion. “We just spent the better part of two weeks reacting to the initial announcement.
But Rubio downplayed the issue. He said “the United States continues to have global obligations that it needs to meet in terms of our deployment of force, and that requires us to constantly reevaluate where we deploy troops.”
Trump’s pledge to withdraw US troops came after Merz criticized the US
The latest surprise came despite a US pledge to consolidate military deployments, including by NATO’s top military officer, US Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, Wednesday.
Trump’s first announcement that he would withdraw troops came as he was angered by comments from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said the United States was being “embarrassed” by Iran’s leadership and criticized what he called a lack of strategy in that war.
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Trump told reporters that the US would cut even more than 5,000 and announced new tariffs on European cars. Germany is the continent’s largest car manufacturer.
Rubio emphasized that Trump’s decision “is not a punitive thing. It’s just a progressive thing.” He is often called upon to provide a less confrontational US presence at meetings with European allies, but Rubio skipped the last NATO meeting of foreign ministers in December.
The US is committed to keeping 76,000 troops in Europe
About 80,000 US troops are stationed in Europe. The Pentagon is required to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment on the continent unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in US interests.
A withdrawal of 5,000 troops could reduce the numbers below that threshold.
But Trump’s latest post suggests troop numbers in Europe won’t change. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Radek Sikorski, has welcomed the decision to send more troops to his country, saying that it ensures that “the presence of American troops in Poland will be maintained more or less at previous levels.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also welcomed this move. On Thursday, before Trump lashed out at Social Truth again, Rutte stressed that it is important for Europe to take care of its own security. “We have a plan we are working on. This is a normal business,” he told reporters.
Friday’s NATO meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, was intended to prepare for Trump’s summit with his allies in Turkey in July.
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