What you need to know about US troops in Poland

• Donald Trump announced 5,000 troops will be sent to Poland
• The Pentagon said this week, however, it would reduce the number of US brigades in Europe
• Trump has backed the new, nationalist Polish president

The United States is set to deploy an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday, saying the decision was based on his relationship with nationalist Polish President Karol Nawrocki.

"Based on the successful Election of the now President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who I was proud to Endorse, and our relationship with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

US troops in Europe: Contradictory messages

Trump's announcement comes just two days after the Pentagon said that it was reducing the number of US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) in Europe from four to three.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the US was stripping back its military presence on the continent as a result of a "comprehensive, multilayered process" which is "designed to advance President Trump's America First agenda in Europe and other theaters, including by incentivizing and enabling our NATO allies to take primary responsibility for Europe's conventional defense."

Vice President JD Vance also told reporters earlier this week that a US troop deployment to Poland had been delayed, with Parnell confirming the "temporary delay" as a result of a reduction of brigade combat teams to Europe.

Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz had previously denied that the reduction of US troops in Europe would affect Poland, saying: "The number of American soldiers in Poland is not being reduced."

His deputy, Cezary Tomczyk, also said that any repositioning or redeployment of US troops would affect Germany, not Poland, adding: "Poland is continuously working on strengthening the American troop presence."

Earlier in May, the US announced it was planning to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, amid an open spat between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The German leader had said Iran was "humiliating" the US at the negotiating table, unleashing Trump's wrath.

What is Trump's relationship with Nawrocki?

Trump hosted Nawrocki at ​the White House in May last year and backed him at ​a crucial moment ahead of the Polish election in which the nationalist politician went on to defeat the candidate of Polish Prime ​Minister Donald Tusk's ⁠centrist, pro-European party.

"President Trump said 'you will win,'" Nawrocki told private broadcaster TV Republika at the time. "I read it as a wish for my success in the upcoming elections … and after this whole day I can say that the American administration is aware of what is happening in Poland."

Trump met Nawrocki again ⁠in September when he said that the US could increase its troop presence in Poland and pledged to secure the country's defense.

Late on Thursday, Nawrocki thanked Trump for the move in a post on X, calling Warsaw's alliance with Washington "a vital pillar of security for every Polish home and for all of Europe."

Poland is a key member of NATO and has one of the biggest and most well-funded militaries in Europe, spending some 4.48% of its GDP on defense  the largest in the alliance, as per NATO 2025 figures.

Edited by: Rana Taha

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