US cancels planned troop deployment to Poland

The United States has cancelled the deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland as part of a broader Pentagon plan to withdraw 5,000 soldiers from NATO territory in Germany, Euronews can confirm.

Earlier this month, the US administration announced the drawdown amid a growing rift between Washington and Berlin, after the German Chancellor Frederic Merz characterised the US-Israeli war in Iran as ill-conceived.

He also said that the White House had been "humiliated" in the regime in Tehran.

US President Donald Trump reacted angrily to the remarks, posting a series of messages attacking the German chancellor and telling him to spend more time “fixing his broken country” and less time “interfering” in Iran negotiations.

The Pentagon subsequently announced that Washington would withdraw at least 5,000 US troops from military bases across Germany over the next six to nine months.

But in an abrupt move confirmed by Euronews, the US has instead scrapped the 4,000-strong rotational force due to replace troops once they completed their deployment to Poland.

A ceremony marking the upcoming deployment of the 1st Cavalry Division — known as “casing the colours” — was held on 1 May at Fort Hood, Texas, and military equipment was already in transit, underscoring how far advanced the tour was before it was aborted.

NATO officials insist the overall impact on the alliance’s military posture has been limited, as rotational forces are not formally included in NATO’s deterrence and defence plans.

Confirming the development, a senior NATO military official told Euronews that replenishment forces “do not factor into NATO’s deterrence and defence plans”.

“NATO will continue to maintain a strong presence on its Eastern Flank,” the official added.