President Donald Trump said Thursday the United States will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland.
The announcement comes two days after the Department of War said it has reduced the number of Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) stationed in Europe from four to three, returning force levels to those seen in 2021.
Trump did not provide details on the timing of the deployment. He said his decision was based on last year’s election of Poland’s conservative President Karol Nawrocki, whom he endorsed.
“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.
President Trump posts on TruthSocial:
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… pic.twitter.com/bOJwLMMxh7
— Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) May 21, 2026
Trump’s remarks came after U.S. Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby held what he described as a “very productive” meeting with Polish Secretary of State Pawel Zalewski early Thursday.
“I re-emphasized our message that the U.S. is driving real burden-sharing for a European-led conventional defense, a message we will be continuing to share with allies in the coming weeks. In this context, Poland stands out as a model ally and a leader among our allies,” said Colby.
Trump’s announcement came one week after the Pentagon canceled a planned deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland, a decision that followed the White House’s announcement earlier this month that it plans to withdraw about 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany.
The U.S. administration made the decision after European allies declined to join the U.S. military campaign against Iran. Officials later clarified that U.S. force posture decisions in Europe were under review as part of broader strategic adjustments.
Poland has in recent months faced threats from Russia, including incidents in which NATO and Polish forces were forced to shoot down Russian drones that violated the EU country’s airspace.
The U.S. currently has about 80,000 troops stationed in Europe, including roughly 10,000 in Poland, according to a Council on Foreign Relations analysis. The largest U.S. presence remains in Germany, with more than 38,000 troops.
