The Guardian: Trump announced the deployment of five thousand American soldiers to Poland
Trump announced the dispatch of American soldiers to Poland, writes the Guardian. "In connection with the successful election of the current President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki... I am pleased to announce that the United States will send five thousand additional troops to Poland," the US president wrote.
Jakub Krupa
The US president's statement came a day before a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, ahead of which Marco Rubio criticized the alliance for its inability to help in the war with Iran.
Donald Trump has announced that he will send an “additional” 5,000 American troops to Poland. Just a few days earlier, the Pentagon made the controversial decision to suspend the long—planned deployment of troops in that country, the largest on NATO's eastern flank.
“In connection with the successful election of the current President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, whom I was proud to support, and our relations with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will send an additional five thousand troops to Poland,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.
It is unclear whether the troops will be deployed on a rotating or permanent basis, and whether this is related to Trump's previous decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany. The American contingent in Poland has about 10,000 troops.
The announcement marks a rare 180-degree reversal, as earlier this week the Pentagon said it would postpone sending four thousand American troops from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division to Poland as part of an extensive review of the structure of the US armed forces in Europe.
On Wednesday, Vice President Jay D. Vance himself supported this decision, telling a Polish reporter that the United States would like Europe to take more responsibility for its own defense and security, and adding that Poland “is able to defend itself with great US support.” He accused the media of “making a big deal out of a molehill” on an “ordinary issue,” calling the delay “standard.”
However, the initial decision took Warsaw by surprise, alarmed the Polish top leadership, concerned about Russia's position in the region amid ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, and provoked criticism in the US Congress.
Trump's statement came just hours before U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a NATO ministerial meeting in Sweden, which will cap several weeks of strained relations between the U.S. administration and European allies over their refusal to participate in the war in Iran.
Before leaving for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Sweden, Rubio said on Thursday that Trump was “very disappointed” by the alliance's members who had banned the United States from using bases on their territory for military operations, especially noting Spain.
“You have countries like Spain that refuse to use bases for us, so a fair question arises: why are you in NATO at all? Rubio told reporters in Miami. — At the same time, we must admit that other NATO countries have provided us with great assistance. But we need to discuss this.”
Trump has harshly criticized NATO members for not contributing enough to the US-Israeli military campaign. He said that he was thinking about withdrawing from the alliance, and questioned whether Washington was obliged to comply with the mutual defense pact.
NATO officials stressed that the United States did not ask the 32-member alliance to take part in the war in Iran, but many allies fulfilled their obligations and allowed American troops to use their airspace and bases on their territory.
Europeans' concerns about Trump's attitude to NATO have also been exacerbated this year by the American president's desire to acquire Greenland, an autonomous territory within allied Denmark.
For many years, Poland has sought to establish itself as the main U.S. ally in Europe: its troops are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the country is ahead of its European counterparts in NATO in defense spending.
In announcing the deployment of additional troops, Trump highlighted his relationship with Polish Conservative Party President Karol Nawrocki, who unexpectedly won last year's presidential election after hosting a White House reception in the final weeks of the election campaign. Since then, they have developed a close relationship, and Trump has regularly recalled the crucial role of his support in the election.
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| US President Donald Trump and Polish President Karol Nawrocki. |
| Source: © AP Photo / Evan Vucci |
Although the statement became known in Europe only late in the evening, the Polish president hastened to thank Trump “for his friendship with Poland, whose practical dimension we clearly saw today.”
“I stand and will stand guard over the Polish-American alliance, a vital pillar of security for every Polish home and for the whole of Europe,” Nawrocki said.
Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysh also said that Trump's decision confirms the “strength of Polish-American relations” and Poland's “role as an exemplary and reliable ally.”
Earlier this week, Kosinyak-Kamysh tried to hold urgent talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to clarify the initial decision, and told reporters he hoped “all misunderstandings will be resolved and the media hype will subside in the coming days.”
