President Donald Trump said Thursday that an additional 5,000 U.S. troops will be sent to Poland, reversing a decision announced last week. The move comes amid a broader effort to scale back America’s military footprint in Europe and push NATO allies to shoulder more of their own defense burden.
Trump announced the move on Truth Social, citing the election last year of Karol Nawrocki as Poland’s president. Nawrocki is considered a staunch Trump ally, but the decision to withdraw the deployment of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division, known as the “Black Jack” brigade, reportedly blindsided him.
“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 Truth Social.
The “Black Jack” brigade, a force of more than 4,000 troops, had reportedly begun preparations for a nine-month rotation to Poland and other NATO nations on the alliance’s eastern flank before the deployment was canceled.
But Vice President JD Vance said at Tuesday’s White House press briefing that the troop rotation was only delayed.
“We’ve not reduced the troop levels in Poland by 4,000 troops,” Vance said. “What we did is that we delayed a troop deployment that was going to go to Poland, that’s not a reduction, that’s just a standard delay in rotation that sometimes happens in these situations.”
Trump hosted Nawrocki at the White House in May last year and endorsed him at a crucial moment ahead of Poland’s presidential election. Nawrocki later defeated the candidate backed by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-European centrist party.
Trump met Nawrocki again at the White House in September and said at the time the U.S. could increase its troop presence in Poland. Trump also pledged to help secure the country’s defense.
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