US Delays Planned Troop Move to Poland

The United States will not yet move a planned 4,000 troops to Poland, Vice President JD Vance said, insisting that the deployment had only been postponed and not cancelled. He rejected claims that Washington was beginning to withdraw forces from Europe.

Reports of the possible cancellation of the US troop redeployment had drawn criticism from some US lawmakers, who fear President Donald Trump is weakening security commitments to European allies.

Speaking at a White House briefing, Vance said the United States wanted Europe to take on more responsibility for common defense within NATO. However, he stressed that the move did not amount to a full withdrawal of US troops from the continent.

He said Washington was merely shifting some resources to better reflect US security priorities. The Trump administration has long announced a review of its military presence in Europe and has pressed NATO member states to increase defense spending.

The Pentagon confirmed that the move was a temporary postponement of troop rotations. Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell said the number of brigade combat teams in Europe would be reduced from four to three. The final deployment of US forces will be determined by further analysis of US strategic needs and the ability of European allies to contribute to the region’s defense.

At the same time, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured the Polish government that Washington wanted to maintain a strong military presence in Poland in the future.

(reuters, mja)