The United States has canceled the deployment of 4,000 soldiers to Poland as part of a larger Pentagon plan to withdraw 5,000 soldiers from NATO territory in Germany, Euronews confirmed.
At the beginning of the month, the American administration announced this withdrawal amidst increasing disagreement between Washington and Berlin, after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the Israeli-American war in Iran as misguided.
He also stated that the White House had been “humiliated” by the Tehran regime.
President Donald Trump reacted angrily to these remarks, posting a series of messages attacking the German chancellor and telling him to spend more time “fixing his broken country” and less time “interfering” in negotiations with Iran.
The Pentagon then announced that Washington would withdraw at least 5,000 American soldiers from its military bases in Germany over the next six to nine months.
However, in an abrupt decision confirmed by Euronews, the United States instead canceled the rotation force of 4,000 men who were to replace the troops once they had completed their deployment in Poland.
A ceremony marking the upcoming deployment of the 1st Cavalry Division – known as “casing the colours” – was held on May 31st at Fort Hood, Texas, and military equipment was already in transit, underscoring how advanced the deployment was before it was canceled.
NATO officials insist that the overall impact on the Alliance’s military presence has been limited, as rotational forces are not officially included in NATO’s deterrence and defense plans.
A senior NATO military official confirmed to Euronews that rotational forces “are not taken into account in NATO’s deterrence and defense plans.”
“NATO will continue to maintain a strong presence on its eastern flank,” added the official.
However, this decision may disappoint Warsaw, where speculation was rife for weeks that some of the troops withdrawn from Germany could be redeployed to Poland, a country seen as crucial to protecting the alliance’s eastern flank against Russia.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte dodged questions on this topic at a press conference in Bucharest.
“If we consider the American presence in Europe, it remains vast and massive,” said Mark Rutte during a meeting of the B9 group of NATO allies, which includes Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states.
But in a clear sign that Warsaw had hoped to welcome additional American troops, Polish President Karol Nawrocki stated that the country was “ready” to receive them.
“If President Trump decides to move American troops from Germany, Poland is ready,” he declared, alongside Mark Rutte at the press conference.
NATO sources told Euronews that the Polish government was informed of the decision on Wednesday night.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz sought to downplay the significance of this decision. In a post on X on Thursday morning, he stated that the American decision was “related to the previously announced change in the presence of certain American armed forces in Europe.”
“The rapid development of the capabilities of the Polish armed forces and the presence of American forces in Poland strengthen NATO’s eastern flank,” he wrote.
European NATO allies anticipated a reduction in American troop levels since Donald Trump returned to power. Both the Pentagon and the White House indicated they would review the overall positioning of American forces, and NATO territories should be affected.
According to NATO sources, an additional 1,000 soldiers could still be withdrawn from Germany to reach the 5,000 figure announced by Trump at the beginning of the month.
