U.S. cancels planned 4,000-troop deployment to Poland amid European force posture review

US President Donald Trump said he would send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, reversing course on a plan to suspend an Army deployment to the allied country.

Poland was set to receive forces whose deployment was abruptly halted last week.

Pentagon 'Blindsided' As Hegseth Pulls Plug On 4,000-Troop Deployment To Poland President Trump's earlier previewed controversial troop cuts for the European continent may already be in progress, and could happen more rapidly than previously thought.  The US Army has canceled the deployment of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division to Poland, NBC reports this week. The deployment would have involved over 4,000 soldiers as well as military equipment. Getty Images Various reports say that top Pentagon staff were 'blindsided' by what is being characterized as War Secretary Pete Hegseth's sudden U-turn on the plan to send troops to Poland, amid Trump anger at Europe. Politico says that troops and equipment had actually started arriving in the country: The decision was even more surprising because troops and equipment had already started to arrive in the country. It sent fresh waves of anxiety through European capitals and inside the Pentagon on Thursday about whether such moves could embolden Russia — and which ally might turn into the next target. “We had no idea this was coming,” said one of the U.S. officials, adding that European and American officials have spent the last 24 hours on the phone trying to understand the decision and figure out if more surprises are coming. Some of this surprise and frustration was echoed in public, with Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, stating that the Army’s role in Europe "is all about deterring the Russians, protecting America’s strategic interests and assuring allies." But it remains that "now a very important asset that was coming to be part of that deterrence is gone." He added: "The Poles certainly have never criticized President Trump, and they do all the things that good allies are supposed to do. And yet, this happens." There was no command announcement, with some troops learning of the deployment cancelation by text among their friends and members of their unit. As for Trump's plan to reduce the US presence in Germany by 5,000, this is expected to take many months - possibly over a period of six months to a year. The Pentagon scrapped plans to send about 4,000 Army troops to Poland, people familiar with the matter said, part of a broader review of the US military presence in Europe https://t.co/b4DX9pr3Hc — Bloomberg (@business) May 14, 2026 The large US presence hearkens back to the post WWII division of Germany and post-war order, and is also a legacy of the Cold War. Ironically at this very moment European leaders have hyped a 'new Cold War' with Russia, as the Ukraine war continues raging. "The officials characterized the move as a signal of President Trump's discontent with the level of assistance that European allies have offered in the U.S.-Iran war," CBS has noted previously. Tyler Durden Sat, 05/16/2026 - 08:45

The Pentagon is drawing down thousands of troops in Europe by cancelling deployments to Poland and Germany as opposed to yanking forces already stationed there, US officials say, as President Donald Trump has tussled with allies over the Iran war and called for changes. Several U.S. officials confirmed that 4,000 troops from the Army's 2nd Armoured Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division were no longer en route to Poland this week. The Trump administration had previously said it was cutting US forces only in Germany, and the decision spurred questions and criticism in both Warsaw and Washington. Two officials told The Associated Press that the deployments were canceled after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo directing the Joint Chiefs of Staff to move a brigade combat team out of Europe. One of them said the choice of which unit was left to military leaders. Besides the Army combat team based in Fort Hood, Texas, the memo also led to the cancellation of an upcoming ...

The latest move follows an announcement made earlier this month in which the U.S. said it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany.

Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the U.S. Army's acting chief of staff, confirmed the decision during testimony before the House Armed Services Committee but did little to explain it.