President Donald Trump has officially vowed to keep American troops in Poland, with the possibility of even increasing their numbers. During a meeting with the new Polish President, Karol Nawrocki, Trump made it crystal clear that the U.S. is “very much aligned with Poland”.
When a reporter directly asked if the U.S. planned to continue placing troops in Poland, Trump was quick with his response, stating, “we’ll put more there if they want.” He followed up by saying, “They’ll be staying in Poland”. It’s a pretty big deal, especially considering some top officials in his administration have previously talked about possibly pulling U.S. troops out of Europe. However, with this statement, Trump has reassured a key ally on the front line with Russia.
According to Politico, the U.S. currently has about 8,000 troops stationed in Poland, and it’s a number that fluctuates. But this new promise is a strong signal that the U.S. stands with Poland, a country that borders Russia and is one of America’s closest European allies. The Polish President, Karol Nawrocki, who narrowly won his election with Trump’s endorsement, also commented on the situation. He was more than happy about the pledge.
Poland will keep our troops
The Polish President joked that “This is the first time in Polish history … that the Poles are happy that we have foreign soldiers in Poland”. He went on to say that having American soldiers on Polish soil sends an important “signal” to Russia, adding, “With American soldiers on Polish soil … we are secure”. It’s a powerful statement that really drives home the importance of this alliance. Nawrocki’s visit to Washington was his first overseas trip since taking office last month. And you can tell it was a success. He told Trump, “Those relations for me, for Poland, for Poles, are very important”.
The meeting was also a chance for Trump to praise Poland for its defense spending. Poland is the top spender in NATO as a percentage of its GDP, with a defense budget in 2025 of 4.7 percent. Trump has long pushed NATO allies to increase their defense spending, and Poland is clearly leading the way. This is something Trump has publicly and privately pushed for, and it is very different from the love he normally shows Russia.
Trump says just now alongside Polish President Nawrocki that the US will keep soldiers in Poland and even put more there if Poland wants them
— Gram Slattery (@G_Slattery) September 3, 2025
Welcome news on the force posture front for Eastern European allies
It seems like the “America First” agenda is very much at play here, but with a twist. It’s an “America First” that also benefits those who are willing to pull their own weight, or in this case, a whole lot more. The meeting between the two leaders wasn’t just about troops, though. Nawrocki, a nationalist historian and longtime Trump supporter, made sure to use his first foreign trip to Washington to stress the importance of a strong U.S. military presence as a deterrent to Russia. This is especially important to Trump after he wasn’t invited to their big parade for the WW2 victory.
He echoed some of Trump’s language on Ukraine, promising to continue his country’s support for Ukraine while being critical of its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of taking advantage of allies. This aligns with Trump’s own frustrations about the ongoing conflict and his repeated calls for an end to the war. The two leaders seem to see eye-to-eye on a lot of these critical international issues, which is not surprising, considering Trump’s public endorsement of Nawrocki’s campaign earlier this year.
