The Pentagon has canceled plans to temporarily deploy 4,000 US troops to Poland, according to 2 US officials. This unexpected move raises further suspicions about President Donald Trump's plan to reduce forces in Europe.
The Pentagon spokesman declined to comment. A US congressman said the Congress has not been informed of this decision and no official statement has been made yet.
The information was released just 2 weeks after the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany, partly due to growing disagreements between Mr. Trump and Europe over the conflict with Iran.
An unnamed US official told Reuters that canceling the plan in Poland could be a short-term solution to facilitate the previously announced troop cuts in Germany. This means that forces expected to arrive in Poland could be transferred from elsewhere.
The US currently maintains about 35,000 troops in Germany. Washington has long considered reducing its military presence in Europe, in the context of Mr. Trump's continuous request for NATO to play a greater role in continental defense.
President Trump also expressed dissatisfaction that European allies did not participate in the US war with Iran. He once argued with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said last month that Iran was making the US lose face in negotiations.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the decision related to Poland seemed to surprise lawmakers.
When the announcement of troop withdrawal from Germany was made, a senior US official said this would bring the number of US troops in Europe back to the level before 2022, before Russia launched a military campaign in Ukraine, causing former President Joe Biden's administration to increase its military presence.
At the end of last year, the US had about 85,000 troops stationed in Europe.
