US Cancels Planned Deployment of 4,000 Troops to Poland Amid Germany Drawdown

The United States has canceled the planned deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland, a move linked to a broader Pentagon decision to reduce the American military presence in Germany by 5,000 personnel, according to information confirmed to Euronews.

The reversal comes after Washington announced earlier this month that troops would be withdrawn from bases in Germany over the next six to nine months. The decision followed a sharp deterioration in relations between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Tensions escalated after Merz criticized the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, describing it as poorly conceived and claiming the White House had been “humiliated” by the government in Tehran.

Trump responded publicly and angrily, accusing the German leader of meddling in Iran-related diplomacy and telling him to focus on “fixing his broken country.” Shortly afterward, the Pentagon confirmed plans to scale back the American military footprint in Germany.

Instead of transferring part of those forces eastward, however, Washington decided to cancel the rotational deployment that was supposed to replace troops currently stationed in Poland. The deployment had already advanced significantly before being halted. A formal “casing the colors” ceremony for the 1st Cavalry Division took place on May 1 at Fort Hood in Texas, and military equipment had reportedly already begun moving toward Europe.

NATO officials attempted to minimize the strategic consequences of the move. A senior NATO military official told Euronews that rotational replenishment forces are not part of the alliance’s official deterrence and defense structure. “NATO will continue to maintain a strong presence on its Eastern Flank,” the official said, adding that the canceled deployment does not directly alter existing defense plans.

Even so, the decision is expected to disappoint Polish officials, who had hoped some of the troops withdrawn from Germany might instead be relocated to Poland. Warsaw has increasingly positioned itself as a central pillar of NATO’s eastern defenses against Russia.

During a press conference in Bucharest, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte avoided directly addressing the canceled deployment but stressed that the American military presence in Europe remains substantial. “When you look at the U.S. presence in Europe, it is still vast and massive,” Rutte said during the gathering of the B9 group, which includes Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki made clear that Warsaw was open to hosting additional American troops if Washington chose to relocate them. “If President Trump decides to relocate American troops from Germany, Poland is ready,” he said alongside Rutte.

According to NATO sources cited by Euronews, the Polish government was informed of the U.S. decision on Wednesday evening. Polish Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz later sought to reduce concerns, saying the move was connected to a previously announced restructuring of U.S. military deployments in Europe. In a post on X, he argued that the growing capabilities of the Polish armed forces, combined with the continued American presence in the country, still strengthen NATO’s eastern flank.

European allies have anticipated potential reductions in U.S. troop numbers since Trump returned to office. Both the White House and the Pentagon have repeatedly indicated they intend to reassess the global positioning of American forces, with Europe expected to be affected. NATO officials also noted that another 1,000 troops could still be withdrawn from Germany in order to reach the 5,000 reduction announced earlier this month.