Washington DC [US]: US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) said that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 troops to Poland.
Trump expressed his satisfaction at the election of the now President of Poland, 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP," he said in a post on Truth Social.
A Polish official and a NATO representative told Politico that they were flabbergasted by the decision as the US did not discuss this ere making the announcement.
Poland's military was alerted that the Pentagon had decided to cancel a 4,000-troop deployment to the country last week -- blindsiding the country and stunning US defence officials.
The Pentagon on Tuesday (local time) announced a reduction in the number of Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) stationed in Europe, lowering the total from four to three and effectively returning US troop levels on the continent to their 2021 posture.
In a post on X, Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs and Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell released a statement which said, the move followed " a comprehensive, multilayered process focused on US force posture in Europe."
"The Department of War has reduced the total number of Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) assigned to Europe from four to three. This returns us to the levels of BCTs in Europe in 2021," the official statement said.
The statement added that the decision has resulted in "a temporary delay of the deployment of US forces to Poland," while emphasising that Poland remains "a model US ally."
According to Fox News, the affected formation is the 2nd Armoured Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, which had been scheduled for a routine nine-month NATO rotational deployment to Poland and other eastern flank positions.
