Poland offers to host more US troops amid confusion over suspended deployment plans

Poland announced on Thursday that it is ready to host additional US troops, following reports that Washington had halted a planned military deployment to the country as part of a broader reassessment of US force posture in Europe.

Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski raised the issue during talks on Thursday with US Ambassador to Warsaw Thomas Rose, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry.

The ministry said discussions focused on the presence of US troops in the country and cooperation on critical raw materials and energy projects, including Poland’s ambitions to become a regional LNG hub through the Baltic Eagle Gas Hub initiative.

The meeting came a day after the Wall Street Journal, Army Times, and Stars and Stripes reported that the US Army had suspended the planned rotational deployment of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team from the 1st Cavalry Division to Poland. The deployment would have involved more than 4,000 troops and military equipment.

Army Times reported that some equipment had already been transferred to Europe before the operation was paused.

The Pentagon has not officially confirmed whether the deployment has been canceled or merely delayed.

Polish officials have moved quickly to contain concerns that the decision could signal a broader reduction of America’s military commitment to NATO’s eastern flank.

Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz insisted on Thursday that “the number of American soldiers in Poland is not decreasing.”

“We are working both on increasing the number and the operational capabilities of the American military stationed in Poland,” Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters in parliament, describing Poland as an “iron ally” that fulfills all alliance commitments.

The US Army Europe and Africa command told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) that troop deployments on the continent are “constantly adjusted as conditions evolve,” while a senior US administration official cited by PAP said he had learned about the suspended deployment from media reports and declined detailed comment.

Nonetheless, the official suggested that discussions had previously included the possibility of transferring approximately 5,000 US troops from Germany to Poland.

Trump said last week that he “might” move troops from Germany to Poland, reinforcing speculation that Washington is reconsidering the distribution of forces across Europe.

The issue has become increasingly sensitive across NATO’s eastern flank, with Poland, Lithuania, and Romania all lobbying Washington to maintain or expand the American military presence in the region amid continued fears over Russia.

One Eastern European diplomat told PAP that the reports were “concerning” and complained about difficulties obtaining clear information from the White House.

Poland currently hosts around 10,000 US troops on a rotational basis and has sharply increased defense spending since Russia’s war with Ukraine in 2022, allocating close to 5% of GDP to defense this year — the highest level in NATO relative to economic output.