OAN Staff Jenna Lee
1:03 PM – Friday, May 22, 2026
President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the U.S. will deploy an additional 5,000 troops to Poland—a powerful strategic realignment that rewards key allies while correcting previous administrations’ passive approach to European defense.
This move comes after the Pentagon announced plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, a direct and necessary response to Berlin’s continued failure to support vital North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operations. Instead, Trump is shifting those resources to a reliable, forward-thinking partner.
“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!” said Trump in a Truth Social post.
President Nawrocki, a strong conservative leader, and Trump maintain a close relationship. Nawrocki’s alliance with the U.S. administration has set him on a collision course with Donald Tusk, Poland’s pro-EU Prime Minister.
Tusk initially said that Poland would take advantage of every opportunity to increase the U.S. military presence in Europe, but he explicitly warned against “poaching” troops from other European allies to make it happen.
The announcement also arrived just prior to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s scheduled trip to a NATO ministerial meeting in Sweden, following weeks of tense relations between the U.S. administration and its European allies over their refusal to be involved in the Iran conflict.
Before departing on Thursday, Rubio didn’t hold back when addressing reporters about how the president was “very disappointed” in alliance members who did not allow U.S. troops to use bases on their territory for the war.
“You have countries like Spain denying us the use of these bases – well then why are you in NATO? That’s a very fair question. In fairness, other countries in NATO have been very helpful. But we need to discuss that,” Rubio stated.
The U.S. currently has about 80,000 troops stationed in Europe, with around 10,000 of those based in Poland, according to a Council on Foreign Relations analysis.
It remains unclear whether the deployment of the additional 5,000 troops would be rotational or permanent, or how closely it ties to the president’s previous decision to withdraw forces from Germany.
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