US cancels planned troop deployment to Poland, Euronews confirms

Published on 14/05/2026 - 13:57 GMT+2

The United States has cancelled the deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland arsenic portion of a broader Pentagon program to retreat 5,000 soldiers from NATO territory successful Germany, Euronews tin confirm.

Earlier this month, the US medication announced the drawdown amid a increasing rift betwixt Washington and Berlin, aft the German Chancellor Frederic Merz characterised the US-Israeli warfare successful Iran arsenic ill-conceived.

He besides said that the White House had been "humiliated" successful the authorities successful Tehran.

US President Donald Trump reacted angrily to the remarks, posting a bid of messages attacking the German chancellor and telling him to walk much clip “fixing his breached country” and little clip “interfering” successful Iran negotiations.

The Pentagon subsequently announced that Washington would retreat astatine slightest 5,000 US troops from subject bases crossed Germany implicit the adjacent six to 9 months.

But successful an abrupt determination confirmed by Euronews, the US has alternatively scrapped the 4,000-strong rotational unit owed to regenerate troops erstwhile they completed their deployment to Poland.

A ceremonial marking the upcoming deployment of the 1st Cavalry Division — known arsenic “casing the colours” — was held connected 1 May astatine Fort Hood, Texas, and subject instrumentality was already successful transit, underscoring however acold precocious the circuit was earlier it was aborted.

NATO officials importune the wide interaction connected the alliance’s subject posture has been limited, arsenic rotational forces are not formally included successful NATO’s deterrence and defence plans.

Confirming the development, a elder NATO subject authoritative told Euronews that replenishment forces “do not origin into NATO’s deterrence and defence plans”.

“NATO volition proceed to support a beardown beingness connected its Eastern Flank,” the authoritative added.

The determination is nevertheless apt to origin disappointment successful Warsaw, wherever speculation had been mounting for weeks that immoderate of the troops withdrawn from Germany could alternatively beryllium redeployed to Poland, a state seen arsenic cardinal to support the alliance's eastbound flank against Russia.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte sidestepped questions connected the contented during a property league successful Bucharest connected Wednesday.

“When you look astatine the US beingness successful Europe, it is inactive immense and massive,” Rutte said during a gathering of the alleged B9 radical of NATO allies, which includes Poland, Romania and the Baltic states.

But successful a wide motion Warsaw had hoped to big further US troops, Polish President Karol Nawrocki said the state was “ready” to person them.

“If President Trump decides to relocate American troops from Germany, Poland is ready,” Nawrocki said lasting adjacent to Rutte astatine the aforesaid property conference.

NATO sources told Euronews that the Polish authorities was informed of the determination connected Wednesday evening.

Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, sought to downplay the move. In a station connected X connected Thursday morning, helium said the US determination was “related to the antecedently announced alteration successful the beingness of immoderate US equipped forces successful Europe”.

“The rapidly processing capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces and the beingness of US forces successful Poland fortify NATO’s eastbound flank,” helium wrote.

European NATO allies person anticipated a simplification successful US unit levels since Trump returned to office. Both the Pentagon and the White House had signalled they would reappraisal the planetary positioning of American forces, with NATO territory expected to beryllium affected.

According to NATO sources, a further 1,000 troops could inactive beryllium withdrawn from Germany to scope the 5,000-figure announced by Trump earlier this month.