Donald Trump announced the dispatch of thousands of extra soldiers to Poland weeks after his sudden decision to pull troops from Germany.
In an apparent U-turn, the US president has caused further confusion among his NATO allies after he announced the plan on Truth Social.
He said in a Truth Social post last night that Poland would now receive 5,000 extra troops after the election victory of the conservative president, Karol Nawrocki.
Trump said: ‘Based on the successful Election of the now President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who I was proud to Endorse, and our relationship with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland.’
Currently, Poland hosts around 10,000 US armed forces, with a focus on the country’s eastern areas bordering Ukraine and Belarus, a key Russian ally.
Poland is also a key NATO player, with fighter jets regularly alerted to Russian airspace incursions in the region.
Nawrocki responded to Trump’s plan on X: ‘Good alliances are those based on cooperation, mutual respect, and a commitment to our shared security.’
Trump revealed in early May that 5,000 US troops would leave Germany following Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s refusal to support the Iran war.
Merz claimed that the US had been humiliated in the Iran war negotiations, sparking a ranting reaction from Trump.
The POTUS told Merz to ‘fix his broken country’ and accused him of tolerating a nuclear-armed Iran.
He wrote on Truth Social: ‘The Chancellor of Germany should spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine (Where he has been totally ineffective!)’
Before the heated exchange, European countries had faced months of criticism from the US, accusing them of relying too much on the Americans for security.
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The US and Germany share a long history of military cooperation since the Cold War, which saw the peak of American troops in West Germany.
At the moment, Germany hosts around 36,000 American troops according to the latest government figures, with the biggest bases located near Ramstein and Stuttgart.
In comparison, the UK hosts 10,156 US troops across three bases.
Trump’s increasing hostility towards NATO, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Iran war have led to soul-searching within the military alliance.
But Trump’s anger is also said to have brought the nations closer together, with leaders discussing in private what to do if the US president followed through with his threats to leave the alliance.
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