Helsingborg, Sweden — In a surprise policy reversal, US President Donald Trump told NATO partners he will send an additional 5,000 American personnel to Poland, easing concerns in Warsaw after reports that a planned rotational deployment of about 4,000 troops had been dropped. The announcement came during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg.
Speaking to reporters at the gathering, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remains “disappointed” with the level of backing from some allies for US operations in the Middle East and that those grievances will require discussion at leaders’ level rather than being resolved at the ministerial meeting. He stressed that the alliance must work for all members and that transatlantic tensions exposed by recent events are not settled.
Rubio’s appearance at the summit was his first since the outbreak of hostilities involving Iran, a crisis that amplified divisions within the trans‑Atlantic security bloc. Those strains earlier produced sharp rhetoric from Trump, including threats to withdraw from NATO and public questioning of the alliance’s mutual‑defense commitments.
European capitals reacted with visible relief to the troop commitment. Polish leaders welcomed the move as proof of strong bilateral ties. Polish President Karol Nawrocki said on X that robust alliances depend on cooperation and mutual respect and indicated Trump’s personal rapport with Poland’s leadership played a role in the decision. Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak‑Kamysz called the step confirmation that Poland remains a model ally.
Poland’s foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, said the overall number of US forces in the country will be “more or less the previous level,” and Defence Minister Kosiniak‑Kamysz put that baseline at roughly 10,000 personnel. US officials have not detailed where the newly pledged 5,000 troops will come from or which units will be involved.
Rubio framed the deployment as part of continuing US global commitments, while noting Washington will keep reviewing its overseas force posture. The announcement follows weeks of criticism from Trump about NATO members’ contributions to a joint US‑Israeli campaign against Iran.
Allied anxiety about the Trump administration’s long‑term commitment to traditional partnerships has been heightened this year by a string of unconventional policy moves, including Trump’s renewed interest in acquiring Greenland, a Danish territory, and the cancellation of a planned deployment of long‑range Tomahawk missiles to Germany.
Under pressure at Helsingborg, European ministers signaled willingness to increase their strategic contributions. They pledged to boost territorial defence in Europe and to work toward ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz when operational conditions permit.
(This report is based on a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility for its accuracy or completeness.)
