The Pentagon was reportedly blindsided by Pete Hegseth's sudden decision to cancel the deployment of 4,000 US troops to Poland, in a move that has humiliated European allies. The decision reverses a long-planned rotation of troops based in Texas, who were preparing to train with Nato allies.
A US official told Politico they 'had no idea it was coming' and have spent the last 24 hours consulting with Europe to understand the decision and whether further surprises could follow. The decision comes just two weeks after the defence department announced it was pulling 5,000 troops from Germany amid a widening rift over the Iran war between President Donald Trump and Europe.
Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of the US Army in Europe, said: 'The Poles certainly have never criticised President Trump, and they do all the things that good allies are supposed to do. And yet, this happens.' No formal announcement has been made, and a lawmaker said Congress has not been notified.
Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez insisted the decision 'follows a comprehensive, multilayered process' and was not unexpected or last-minute. One US official suggested the Poland decision was part of a near-term solution to allow for the previously announced drawdown in Germany, which hosts 35,000 US forces.
Polish government spokesperson Adam Szlapka said on Friday that US troops operate in Poland on a continued rotational basis and they have had no confirmation of any change. Last month, a leaked Pentagon email outlined options to punish Nato allies that Washington believes failed to support US operations in the war with Iran.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the Poland decision appeared to be a surprise: 'As far as I know, we weren't notified about it.' US troops have historically served in Europe as a deterrent to Russia, but Trump has accelerated the withdrawal of direct military support from the continent, urging Europe to manage its own affairs.
