Initially Halted, Trump Says He Will Send 5,000 Troops to Poland

US President Donald Trump has said he will deploy 5,000 additional troops to Poland. This followed Washington’s assertion that the previously announced deployment had been cancelled amid European pressure for it to shoulder more of its defence burden. Trump said the move stemmed from his relationship with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, a nationalist ally whom he said he proudly backs in the election Nawrocki won last year. ‘I am pleased to announce that the United States will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland,’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday (21 May) local time, as reported by AFP on Friday (22 May 2026). He did not provide further details. However, his remarks appeared to refer to the deployment of several thousand US troops to Poland that had been in question in recent days. Last week, officials said that the deployment of 4,000 US troops to Poland had been cancelled. This was part of the Trump administration’s latest moves to reduce troop numbers and punish NATO allies who have not supported the war against Iran. Deputy US Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that the 4,000-troop deployment had been postponed, not cancelled, adding that Trump had not made an ‘final decision.’ He added that Europe must stand on its own feet as Trump continues to urge European allies to carry more of their defence burden. Trump appears intent on punishing allies that do not back the Middle East war or contribute to peacekeeping forces in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been closed by Iran. The Pentagon announced in early May that Washington would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany after Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Iran ‘humiliated’ the United States at the negotiating table.