NATO allies and defense officials have expressed confusion after U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly announced he would send 5,000 American troops to Poland, just weeks after ordering the withdrawal of the same number of troops from Europe.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said the situation was hard to follow and created uncertainty for allies. Speaking at a NATO meeting in Helsingborg, she said it was “confusing” and not easy to manage, as foreign ministers gathered with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Defense officials also admitted they were unsure about the decision. One U.S. official said they had spent two weeks responding to earlier plans to reduce troop levels and still did not fully understand the latest change.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States would send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, pointing to his close ties with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom he supported during last year’s election.
The move marks a sharp reversal from recent signals from the Trump administration, which had suggested cutting the U.S. military presence in Europe rather than increasing it.
Officials within NATO said allies had been taken by surprise, even though Washington had earlier promised better coordination on troop movements. NATO military chief U.S. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich said the alliance would continue working closely with partners to stay aligned on decisions.
Some European ministers, including those from the Netherlands and Norway, said they were not alarmed but stressed that any changes should follow a clear and structured process. Latvia’s Foreign Minister Baiba Braže said allies were aware that the U.S. was reviewing its troop posture, and that for now there appeared to be no major change.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration had announced plans to reduce its presence in Europe by about 5,000 troops. Around 4,000 troops were also reported to have been removed from planned deployment to Poland, while the transfer of some U.S. missile-trained personnel to Germany was paused.
Grynkewich said several hundred troops would be reassigned elsewhere but did not provide details. He also met defense chiefs from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland at NATO headquarters to discuss options.
The policy shift comes amid tensions following comments by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who criticized U.S. strategy on Iran and suggested Washington was being disrespected by Tehran. Trump responded by saying troop cuts could go “far beyond 5,000” and also announced new tariffs on European cars.
About 80,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed in Europe. Under Pentagon rules, at least 76,000 troops and key equipment must remain unless allies are consulted and it is judged to be in U.S. interest to reduce that level.
Trump’s latest remarks suggest troop levels may remain largely unchanged, with forces rotating into Poland from Germany expected to continue. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski welcomed the move, saying it would keep American troop presence in Poland at roughly current levels.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also supported continued coordination. He said Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security but stressed that existing consultation processes were working as normal.
The meeting in Helsingborg was held to prepare for a planned summit between Trump and NATO leaders in Turkey in July.