Trump to deploy 5,000 US troops to Poland after earlier plan was canceled
Key takeaways
- US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was sending 5,000 troops to Poland, reversing an earlier decision to cancel the deployment as Washington presses Europe to shoulder more of its own defence burden.
- By: FRANCE 24 US President Donald Trump speaks during an announcement with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on May 21, 2026.
- Trump said the move was based on his relationship with Poland's president Karol Nawrocki, a nationalist ally whom he said he was "proud to endorse" in elections that Nawrocki won last year.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was sending 5,000 troops to Poland, reversing an earlier decision to cancel the deployment as Washington presses Europe to shoulder more of its own defence burden.
By: FRANCE 24 US President Donald Trump speaks during an announcement with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on May 21, 2026. © Kent NISHIMURA, AFP US President Donald Trump said Thursday he was sending 5,000 troops to Poland, after Washington said an earlier planned deployment had been called off amid pressure on Europe to fend for itself.
Trump said the move was based on his relationship with Poland's president Karol Nawrocki, a nationalist ally whom he said he was "proud to endorse" in elections that Nawrocki won last year.