The United States has canceled the deployment of 4000 soldiers in Poland, as confirmed by a senior American official on Friday, while Washington reorganizes its forces in Europe after announcing the withdrawal of thousands of troops from Germany.
Addressing this cancellation during a parliamentary hearing, General Christopher LaNeve, acting Chief of Staff of the Army, stated that the Commander of European Command “had received instructions regarding the reduction of personnel.”
“I worked closely with him (…) and it became clear to us that this brigade would not ultimately be deployed,” Mr. LaNeve explained, referring to the 2nd Armored Combat Brigade.
The Pentagon had announced at the beginning of the month that Washington would withdraw 5000 soldiers from Germany. This operation was expected to be completed within the “next six to twelve months,” according to Sean Parnell, a spokesperson for the US Department of Defense.
Donald Trump later stated that the personnel reduction would go “well beyond 5000 men,” without providing further details.
These announcements come in a context of sharp disagreement between the American president and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding the conflict between the United States and Israel against Iran.
Mr. Trump has criticized his European allies for their lack of support for this offensive launched at the end of February, particularly regarding the issue of the Strait of Hormuz. He also expressed a desire to see Europe take on more of its own defense responsibility rather than depending on American military protection.
The Polish Defense Minister, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, suggested on Friday that the cancellation of the planned deployment in his country might be related to the withdrawal of troops from Germany.
“If a different brigade than planned goes to Poland, maybe one from Germany, and 5000 soldiers leave Germany for Poland (…) there is no change in security guarantees,” Mr. Kosiniak-Kamysz told journalists.
“We know that the United States is working to adjust its presence in Europe,” a NATO official told AFP on Friday.
In Washington, Republican Congressman Don Bacon described the cancellation as a “source of embarrassment for our country,” stating that Poland “was not aware of it.”
Democratic Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland regretted that this decision “implies that we are not a reliable ally.”
