Pentagon officials stunned by Hegseth decision on troops in Poland
Pete Hegseth’s last-minute decision to cancel the deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland surprised Pentagon staff and European allies; It’s the latest example of the Defense secretary’s sudden personnel move that has blindsided both sides of the Atlantic.
It was unclear exactly why Hegseth gave the order, according to three defense officials familiar with the matter. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed anger and disappointment at his European allies for their failure to assist in the Iran war, but Trump called Poland “model ally”Due to high defense expenditures.
The decision was even more surprising because soldiers and equipment began to arrive in the country. Fresh concerns arose in European capitals and within the Pentagon on Thursday about whether such moves could embolden Russia and which ally could become the next target.
“We had no idea this was coming,” one U.S. official said, adding that European and American officials had spent the last 24 hours on the phone trying to understand the decision and see if more surprises were to come.
The move follows Hegseth’s announcement this month He said the Pentagon would withdraw 5,000 soldiers from bases in Germany. However, this decision came after Trump made a threat after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the US had “humiliated” him over the conflict in Iran.
The 4,000 troops based in Texas were preparing to head to Poland on a long-planned nine-month rotation that included training with NATO allies when the halt order came. The cancellation of this routine mission is particularly unusual, given that American troops stationed on the continent are a key deterrent for Russia. Trump insisted that Europe must fend for itself. He is railing against her. Allied opposition to the Iran conflict and this latest order show the president is serious about reducing America’s footprint on the continent.
Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, said the Army’s role in Europe is “purely to deter the Russians, protect America’s strategic interests and secure its allies.” “And now a very important asset that became part of that deterrent is gone.”
The White House referred questions to the Pentagon, which argued that this move was a carefully considered process. “The decision to withdraw troops follows an extensive, multi-layered process that included the perspectives of key leaders in the region.” [U.S. military in Europe] Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez said: “This was not an unexpected, last-minute decision.”
But the broader strategy remains unclear. The German withdrawal is still in the planning stages, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter and others like them. This amounts to a relatively small withdrawal of the 38,000 US troops in the country, but it sends a signal to European allies that they may pay a price for publicly disagreeing with the White House.
“The Poles have certainly never criticized President Trump, and they are doing everything good allies should do,” Hodges said. “But it still happens.”
The Pentagon argued that this move was a carefully considered process. “The decision to withdraw troops follows an extensive, multi-layered process that included the perspectives of key leaders in the region.” [U.S. military in Europe] Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez said: “This was not an unexpected, last-minute decision.”
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Polish officials took to social media to either defend the decision or voice its impact on the alliance. Some hoped that the Army would replace this rotating unit presence with a permanent unit already stationed in Europe. Others tried to downplay the potential impact.
“This issue does not concern Poland,” said Polish Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. he said in a social media post.. “This is in conjunction with the previously announced realignment of some of the US military forces in Europe,” he said, referring to ongoing US efforts to reassess American troops on the continent.
majority of Poles Prefer having a US military baseAccording to recent polls, they are on their own territory, unlike many other European countries. And Poland’s defense spending is expected to grow At 4.7 percent of GDP this year, it is the highest such figure among NATO allies.
The Pentagon recently conducted a review of US troop presence around the world. Although it is not expected to be made public. Authorities said the investigation not calling For a massive withdrawal of troops from Europe. But another key document published this year, the National Defense Strategy, promises to allocate more military assets elsewhere and leave Europe’s security to European countries.
The Pentagon announced in October: does not replace it An Army brigade scheduled to leave Romania late last year angry defensive hawks on Capitol Hill.
“This is a huge challenge to Europe’s security and a deeply disturbing way of transferring responsibility to the Europeans,” former Finnish official Joel Linnainmäki said. “Russia’s allies will need to change their calculations.”
However, some in the alliance tried to downplay the impact of the American brigade’s failure to arrive in Poland. Rotational forces, such as the deployment of American troops to Poland, do not affect the alliance’s long-term plans to establish a troop presence on the continent that could deter Russia, a senior NATO official said.
“We know that the United States is trying to improve its stance in Europe,” the official said. “And we are already seeing increased Canadian and German presence on the eastern flank, all of which contribute to a stronger NATO overall.”
France and Germany have a total of 5,000 troops on NATO’s eastern flank, and that number will increase by thousands by the end of next year, the official said.
