Polish PM: “Everything under control” after US troop cancellation

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said that the decision to halt the planned deployment of 4,000 US troops is purely logistical and does not affect Poland’s deterrence capabilities, TVP World reports.

“I received assurances... that these decisions are of a logistical nature and will not directly affect deterrence capabilities and our security,” Tusk said, adding that “everything is under control.”

Poland, which relies on Washington as its key security guarantor amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, hosts around 10,000 US troops—making it the second-largest American military presence in Europe after Germany. Most are deployed on a rotational basis.

Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that “nothing is changing” regarding the presence of American troops in Poland and suggested the move was linked to an earlier decision to reduce US forces in Germany by 5,000 personnel.

“Now the implementation of that decision is underway,” Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X. “It does not concern Poland, but it may indirectly influence decisions regarding rotations.”

A US lawmaker said Congress had not yet been formally notified of any decision regarding the Poland deployment, according to Reuters, noting that no official announcement had been made.

The development follows reports that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth canceled a planned routine nine-month rotational deployment involving 4,000 Texas-based soldiers, who were preparing to depart when the order was issued.

“We had no idea this was coming,” one anonymous US official told Politico, adding that American and European defense officials spent 24 hours trying to clarify the situation and assess whether further changes might follow.

However, the Pentagon rejected claims that the decision was sudden.

“The decision to withdraw troops follows a comprehensive, multilayered process that incorporates perspectives from key leaders in [the US military in Europe] and across the chain of command,” the Department of Defence said. “This was not an unexpected, last-minute decision.”

By Vafa Guliyeva