The telegram from the embassy in Warsaw reached the USA. They wrote about the “anxiety” of Poles
President Donald Trump reversed that decision this week, but the political damage between the two countries may be difficult to repair. According to a Wednesday cable from the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Polish officials viewed the mission's cancellation as a breach of trust.
Cable from the American Embassy. The content contains information about the “concern” of Poles
According to a cable marked confidential but not classified and signed by Tom Rose, the US ambassador to Poland, meanwhile Poles expressed “disappointment”, “amazement” and “real concern”.
“The main emotional reaction is feeling of betrayal especially in the light of President Trump's repeated public assurances about Poland as America's most reliable and committed ally in Europe,” it was stated in the cable, addressed to, among others, office of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, May 5, 2026.ALEX WONG/Getty Images
The cable added that inconsistent U.S. communication with the administration of former President Joe Biden, who approved the rotation in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, also contributed to the problem.
“Rotational troop deployments initiated after Russian invasion in 2022. they were never intended to establish permanent basesbut this information was never consistently or effectively communicated to the public,” the cable states. “Temporary rotational presence gradually came to be perceived in Poland as a semi-permanent guarantee of security, and we have made no attempt to change this perception.”
Asked for comment, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Trump's decision to send troops was related to pursuing a broader strategy for the entire region. “The president restored peace through force and at the same time effectively encouraged European allies to take greater responsibility for their own defense“Kelly said.
The US State Department declined to comment on the cable. Pentagon spokesmen referred questions to the White House.
The US decision hit Poland
Poland has done more than any other NATO ally in recent years to increase defense spending – buying tens of billions of dollars of American-made weapons and covering the maintenance costs of about $10,000. US troops on its territory – thus ensuring that Trump's defense demands are met. The US President often praised Warsaw for their contribution and approach, even though there were frictions with other NATO members such as Germany.
“I'm almost sure it was not in line with the White House's decision,” said Marcin Przydacz, describing the event as “Some kind of misunderstanding at the Pentagon.”
This is how the US reacted to the chaos surrounding the sending of soldiers
Last week's turmoil, the cable said, threatened to “increase pressure to abandon US defense systems, accelerate EU defense integration at America's expense, and amplify anti-American political and media narratives throughout the region.”
Top Pentagon generals traveled to various European countries this week, to explain to concerned allies what the plan was: they explained that it was about reducing the presence of American troops on the continent.
The US Embassy in Warsaw cable contained: some suggestions for countering the negative effects. One of them was to reduce the large, rotational presence of armored troops while ensuring “less but clearly permanent” role of US troops. Such a presence in Poland could focus on “command and control, logistics, [obserwacji]equipment deployment, maintenance, air defense and rapid reinforcement capabilities.”
One of the advantages of this option is that “rotating an armored brigade every nine months would save millions of dollars.”
