The dynamics of the relationship between the White House, the United States and allies around the world are constantly changing. Poland experienced this this week.
After the Pentagon ordered a troop withdrawal, Trump reversed that decision. “No, but not. We are sending troops to Poland because the person I supported won the presidential election there,” says the American president. He wrote about it in a post on social media.
Donald Trump's entry on the Truth Social platform, May 21, 2026: “Due to the successful election of the current President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, whom I proudly supported, and given our relationship with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland. Thank you for your attention! President DONALD J. TRUMP”TruthSocial
The course of events shows the political influence the US president wants to exert around the world. Donald Trump operates in a similar way in the United States during elections and primaries. I'm already explaining what this mechanism is.
Donald Trump's power manifests itself in eliminating political opponents and helping the candidates he supports win elections. The US president has apparently stated that his influence should not be limited to the United States.
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Trump wants the people he supports around the world to succeed. If the candidate he supports wins, the US president will be able to proudly say: “It is thanks to me that person X or Y was elected in a given country.” However, in many cases this tactic did not work, including: recently in Hungary.
The situation with US troops in Poland shows one more very important thing. Trump also made it clear to allies that he would not provide guarantees of U.S. support unless he felt that other allies were willing to play by his rules.
For this reason, Ukrainians in particular are very cautious in contacts with Americans. Their hope rests on the actions of Donald Trump.
In my conversations with Ukrainian officials — as I had previously with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — I sensed particular tension.
Ukrainians are very careful when they talk about the American president. They try to avoid political debate because what ultimately matters is the situation on the front line – and a conflict with the Americans would have a direct impact on it.
Ukraine is fighting for attention at a difficult time
This week, I spoke with Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, about the latest events in her country. Due to the war with Iran, US attention has recently been focused mainly on the Middle East, which poses a challenge for Kiev. At the beginning of the year, there were still meetings and telephone calls regarding Ukraine. In recent weeks, Washington has focused on other issues.
Stefaniszyna said that for her country, the number of headlines in the media is less important than the specific level of support and commitment from Washington. I asked her about the actual military resources being made available to Ukraine because of the American stockpile [amunicji, sprzętu i broni] have been severely strained as a result of the war with Iran. The ambassador said that support has not been interrupted so far, but future deliveries are not guaranteed.
Another interesting aspect is that Ukraine has meanwhile become a global pioneer in drone technology. The US military is learning from Ukraine, right now, during the war with Iran. The Pentagon and Kiev are currently working on an agreement that will allow Ukrainian drone technology to be tested in the US.
Stefanishina emphasized that Ukraine is currently contributing to the security of the United States and all of Europe. The lessons learned from the defensive fight against Russia now have global relevance and could be useful to NATO and the United States.
Ukraine does not want to be perceived as a country that is solely dependent on aid. It wants to be perceived as a state that co-creates the political reality and is an important player in the international arena.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
