May 22 (UPI) — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United States will send an additional 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland, explicitly tying the deployment to the European nation’s election last year of nationalist conservative President Karol Nawrocki.
“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,” he said in a brief statement on his Truth Social media platform.
The move comes as Washington shifts U.S. forces in Europe amid deepening fractures between Trump and NATO allies.
Trump has long been a critic of the defensive alliance, accusing its members of relying on the United States for Europe’s security, but Trump has increased the volume of his criticisms since returning to the White House and especially after ally nations declined to aid the United States in its war with Iran.
After German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the American leader, saying Trump and other American leaders were being “humiliated” by Tehran in the conflict, Trump announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany.
U.S. military officials have said that withdrawal is responsible for the delay in deploying previously announced forces to Poland.
It was not clear what the status of the delayed deployment was or whther it will be affected by the additional troops. It was also not clear what the troop deployment had to do with the election held nearly a year ago.
Trump has repeatedly praised Nawrocki on his Truth Social platform and celebrated his runoff election victory, which was in June 2025.
“I thank U.S. President Donald J. Trump for his friendship toward Poland and for the decisions whose practical dimension we see very clearly today,” Nawrocki said in a statement on social media in response to the troop deployment.
“The security of Poland and the Polish people is my top priority!”
The announcement came as Secretary of State Marco Rubio was heading to the NATO foreign ministers meeting in Sweden on Friday.
Speaking to reporters at Miami Homestead General Aviation Airport before departing for Sweden on Thursday, he told reporters that Trump is “very disappointed” with NATO, citing allies not permitting the United States to use its bases to bomb Iran.
He said the ability to use those bases is the main benefit the United States gains from its NATO membership, suggesting that if they can no longer utilize those facilities to project power then there may be little reason for Washington to be part of the alliance.
“When that is the key rationale for why you’re in NATO, and then you have countries like Spain denying us the use of these bases, well, then, why are you in NATO,” he said.
“That’s a very fair question.”
It also came days after Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, supreme allied commander Europe for NATO and commander of U.S. European Command, told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday that there were no plans for further U.S. redeployments in the near future, other than the withdrawal of troops from Germany.
“As allies build up their capability, the United States is able to pull capability back and use it for other global priorities,” he said.
“So, I’m comfortable where we are.”