According to CNN, Hegseth unexpectedly decided not only to stop sending an armored brigade to Poland, but also to withdraw other units from Europe. This includes, among others: a long-range artillery battalion to be deployed to Germany, and a command overseeing long-range capabilities. This decision means that some of the troops already stationed in Poland will have to return to Texas.
CNN sources indicate that the Pentagon's decisions are the result of the Trump administration's frustration with the attitude of European allies, especially Germany, in the context of policy towards Iran.
In internal Pentagon documents seen by television, it can be read that European countries “failed to live up to expectations” at a difficult time for the United States. The statements of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who suggested that Iran was “humiliating” America, were particularly criticized.
The Pentagon explains that the increase in the number of troops in Europe after the Russian invasion of Ukraine was temporary from the beginning. Then the number of American forces in Poland increased from 5,000 to 10,000. soldiers. CNN emphasizes that canceling the rotation may be a way to avoid logistical difficulties associated with the rapid withdrawal of troops from Germany, where soldiers' families are also stationed
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Consternation in Congress
The Pentagon's decision caused consternation in the US Congress. The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Roger Wicker, announced that he would demand explanations from the Department of Defense. In turn, Democratic senator Tammy Duckworth expressed her outrage, emphasizing the lack of sufficient information from the ministry.
Joel Valdez, acting spokesman for the Pentagon, in an interview with Politico denied that the decision was sudden. 0 The decision to withdraw troops is the result of a comprehensive, multi-layered process that includes input from key commanders and the entire chain of command, Valdez said. However, according to Politico, both US and European officials were surprised by the decision and spent many hours in talks trying to understand its consequences.
Reuters also confirms reports that plans for the rotational transfer of four thousand people have been canceled. American soldiers to Poland.
As Reuters writes, a Pentagon spokesman refused to comment, and an American official said that the decision had not yet been notified to Congress and had not been officially announced.
One of Reuters' interlocutors suggested that the decision regarding Poland is part of a solution that will ultimately enable the withdrawal of 5,000 units previously announced by the US. American soldiers from Germany. This would suggest, as the agency notes, that the troops that were to be deployed from Poland to the US on a rotational basis could come from other places.
Representatives of the Polish government, including Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, deny that the Pentagon's decision would affect the number of American forces in Poland. The Minister of National Defense assured that the reorganization may mean changes in the deployment of specific units, but the number of soldiers will remain at approximately 10,000.
