The decision by US President Donald Trump to send an extra 5,000 troops to Poland appeared to take both Polish and US authorities by surprise.
US President Donald Trump posted an unexpected statement to his Truth Social account late on Thursday evening, announcing that he would be sending an additional 5,000 US troops to Poland.
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"Based on the successful Election of the now President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who I was proud to Endorse, and our relationship with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland," Trump wrote.
Surprise on both sides of the Atlantic
The decision appeared to take both Polish and US authorities by surprise, with US media reporting that Trump is thought not to have consulted anyone on the matter.
The New York Times said that Pentagon officials seemed to have been unaware of the president’s decision and that "the Department of Defense is referring questions on this matter to the White House."
The Politico website, citing anonymous sources in the governments in Warsaw and Washington, says that no such decision was expected in either of the two capitals or across NATO members.
Reaction
While unexpected, the decision has been received positively in both Poland and the US.
"This is good news for Poland and our Baltic allies. I’m glad the President reversed the SecDef decision to withdraw the Brigade from Poland. Poland walks the talk and deserves our close partnership," Republican congressman Don Bacon wrote on X.
Daniel Fried, a US diplomat and former American ambassador to Poland, took a similar view.
"Good fix by Trump & those who worked to reverse the initial bad call. Good for NATO security. Even better if stationing/rotation of US forces in Europe are based on solid plans, worked out with NATO & SACEUR, not politics," he said, although he later questioned where the additional forces would come from.
"Putting the delayed rotation back on would be one way. But a politically-driven shuffle of forces is also possible. Moving troops primarily to reward or punish leaders in or out of favor is not a great way to make defense decisions," he wrote.
There are, however, still no concrete plans from the US administration.
“There seems to be no process to deliberating policies like troop withdrawals and deployments at the top,” Ian Kelly, a retired diplomat said, per the Associated Press.
“These are not well thought out decisions,” Kelly said. “These are impulsive decisions based on Trump’s whims or what his advisors think are Trump’s whims.”
Rutte welcomes move
Speaking to reporters in Sweden on Friday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he welcomed the move, adding that "military commanders are working through all the details."
Poland's right-wing president Karol Nawrocki, whose 2025 election Trump explicitly named as part of his reasoning for making the decision to send additional troops, thanked Trump for his "friendship" and said he would continue to "stand guard over the Polish-American alliance."
In a post on X, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also weighed in, saying Trump's decision was "good news" for both Poland and the US.
"I thank all those involved in this matter—President Nawrocki, the ministers, congressmen, and friends of Poland in the USA—for their effectiveness and unity of action," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz added that the move confirms that "Poland is a model and ironclad ally" for the US.
"It's good that we fight together for the fundamental issues of our Homeland's security. It is a duty that turns into effectiveness," he said.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said: "An additional 5,000 US troops will come to Poland. Huge work and an equally huge success for all those for whom the security of the Homeland is a priority."
Former prime minister and current opposition MP Mateusz Morawiecki also expressed his gratitude to Nawrocki, writing that "the president has once again shown that in Poland–US relations, what wins is a tough, consistent approach, not petty politicking. Others could learn from this."
Trump's announcement came just days after US Vice President J.D. Vance told reporters that a planned deployment of American forces to the Eastern European nation had been delayed.
The US has been reviewing its military presence in Europe in recent months, with mounting speculation that the Trump administration might reduce the number of US forces on the continent.