President Donald Trump said the US would send 5,000 more troops to Poland, a week after the Pentagon canceled a planned deployment of 4,000 troops to the country, according to the BBC.
In an article published on Truth Social, Trump said the decision was based on the US relationship with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom he supported during last year's presidential election.
The US president did not provide further details on whether the additional troops were part of the previously planned deployment or a different operation.
The White House has signaled in recent weeks that it plans to reduce the total number of troops in Europe as part of its “America First” agenda.
Earlier this month, the US also announced it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, following a spat between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over war with Iran.
Trump previously criticized Merz for his suggestion that the US had been “humiliated” by Iranian negotiators.
It is not clear whether the additional troops for Poland were part of those withdrawing from Germany or are a separate group.
He also criticized Washington's NATO allies for their reluctance to join the US in pressuring Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump's announcement on Thursday comes a week after the Defense Department abruptly announced it was canceling the deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later said the cancellation was “a temporary delay” to the planned deployment and that the US would continue to ensure it “maintains a strong military presence” in Poland.
Nawrocki has long been a staunch supporter of Trump and garnered his support before he won Poland's presidential election.
Speaking to the BBC's Radio 4 Today program in January, the Polish president said Trump was the only world leader capable of stopping Vladimir Putin and ending the war in Ukraine.
Despite Trump's previous criticism of the NATO alliance and its European counterparts, Nawrocki insisted that the US remains the guarantor of security in Europe.
Several Republican lawmakers have previously criticized Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Germany, saying it risks sending the wrong message to Russia.
The US military deployment in Germany is by far the largest in Europe, currently numbering more than 36,000 active troops, compared to about 12,000 troops in Italy and another 10,000 in the United Kingdom.
