Trump Slaps His Own Ally, NATO in Panic
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The administration of United States President Donald Trump has begun taking new steps in its European defence policy by delaying the deployment of additional troops to Poland. The decision was announced by the Pentagon amid Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda, accompanied by the withdrawal of thousands of US military personnel from Europe.
The move has triggered concerns among NATO allies, especially as the Russia-Ukraine war continues and the alliance’s eastern flank remains deemed under threat.
The Pentagon said the delay is part of reducing US combat forces in Europe from four combat brigades to three. Each combat brigade can comprise up to 4,000 soldiers, complete with tanks and substantial support equipment.
Trump has long urged European countries to take a larger role in their collective defence. In recent weeks he has also been said to be angered by what he sees as a lack of support from key NATO allies for the US–Israel war against Iran.
In a statement, the Pentagon described Poland as a “model ally” for the US and confirmed that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has contacted Polish Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz to assure Washington that it will maintain “a strong military presence in Poland” despite troop reductions.
The Department of Defence said the final disposition of these troops and other US forces in Europe would be determined based on further evaluation of the strategic and operational needs of the United States, as well as the ability of our allies to contribute to European defence, the Pentagon said, cited by The Washington Post, on Wednesday (20 May 2026).
The Polish Embassy in Washington has not yet commented on the decision.
The troop-reduction step has sparked deep anxiety among NATO members because Russia continues the war in Ukraine and remains a threat to the alliance’s eastern flank.
At the outset of the Ukraine war in 2022, the Biden administration sent thousands of additional troops to Eastern Europe to deter Moscow from expanding its territorial ambitions beyond Ukraine.
But now the Trump administration appears to be moving in the opposite direction. Last year Trump pulled troops out of Romania. Earlier this month the Pentagon announced plans to withdraw around 5,000 military personnel from Germany.
The move in Germany has been widely seen as a political punishment after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised the war in Iran and said the United States had been “humiliated”.
Although the troop-reduction plans had been announced for months, their implementation has continued to provoke unease in the US Congress from both Republican and Democratic sides.
The latest Pentagon announcement also followed a sudden decision by Hegseth last week to halt the deployment of combat brigades based in Texas to Poland. Some troops had already arrived in Poland when the halt was announced.
Republican Congressman Don Bacon publicly criticised the decision during a hearing with the acting Army Chief of Staff, General Christopher LaNeve.
“This is a slap in Poland. This is a slap to our Baltic friends,” Bacon said.
Some troops and equipment from the 2nd Armoured Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division were already in position to undertake a nine-month deployment to Poland. The development forced the US military to halt further departures from Fort Hood, Texas, and arrange the repatriation of hundreds of personnel who had already arrived in Poland.