Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, reversing a previously announced decision to scale back a planned military deployment.
The president announced the move in a post on Truth Social and linked the decision to his relationship with newly elected Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom he endorsed during Poland’s presidential campaign.
“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,” President Trump wrote.
The announcement followed reports that the deployment of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division, commonly known as the “Black Jack” brigade, had been canceled as part of a broader Trump administration effort to reduce the American military presence in Europe and pressure NATO allies to increase defense spending.
The brigade, consisting of more than 4,000 troops, had reportedly begun preparations for a nine-month deployment to Poland and other NATO countries along the alliance’s eastern flank before the mission was halted.
Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that the deployment had only been delayed, not permanently canceled.
“We’ve not reduced the troop levels in Poland by 4,000 troops,” Vance said during a White House press briefing. “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.”
President Trump has maintained close ties with Nawrocki, a conservative nationalist who defeated a candidate backed by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his pro-European centrist coalition.
The president hosted Nawrocki at the White House in May of last year before Poland’s election and publicly endorsed his candidacy at a key moment in the campaign. The two leaders met again in September, when Trump indicated the United States could expand its military presence in Poland and pledged support for the country’s defense.
