Hegseth Cancels 4,000-Troop Poland Rotation as Trump Pushes Europe to Shoulder Security
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · May 14
Hegseth Cancels 4,000-Troop Poland Rotation as Trump Pushes Europe to Shoulder Security
13 articles · Updated · POLITICO · May 14
A planned nine-month deployment of 4,000 Texas-based U.S. troops to Poland was halted just before departure, scrapping a routine NATO training rotation that officials said they did not expect.
The order points to a broader White House effort to shrink the U.S. military footprint in Europe and shift more of the burden to allies, even though a recent Pentagon posture review reportedly did not recommend a major pullback.
The cancellation follows this month's announced withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany and adds to concern that U.S. deterrence against Russia is being weakened, especially on NATO's eastern flank.
Poland, which plans to spend 4.7% of GDP on defense this year and strongly backs a U.S. presence, publicly tried to downplay the move, while some NATO officials said other allies are increasing forces in the region.
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