Trump Now Says U.S. Will Send 5,000 Troops To Poland, An Apparent Reversal From Announced Drawdown

President Donald Trump is now saying the U.S. will send 5,000 troops to NATO, an apparent reversal from a drawdown announced last week.

“Based on the successful Election of the now President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, who I was proud to Endorse, and our relationship with him, I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” Trump said in a social media publication.

The announcement stands in contrast with a reported cancellation of plans to deploy 4,000 troops to the country while moving forward with the withdrawal of thousands more from Germany.

CNN detailed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cancelled the scheduled deployment of 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. Some personnel were already in Europe and must now go back to the U.S. Hegseth also cancelled the deployment of a battalion specialized in firing long-range rockets and missiles.

Trump had also told reporters earlier this month that the U.S. would be “cutting a lot further” than the announced troops. The Associated Press noted that it wasn’t immediately clear whether the brigades would resume their deployment or others would be sent to Poland.

U.S. officials told the outlet they were confused by the announcement: “We just spent the better part of two weeks reacting to the first announcement, We don’t know what this means either,” one official said.

The administration is also planning to reduce its military capabilities to assist European NATO allies in case of a major crisis, according to a new report.

Reuters detailed that even though the composition of the NATO Force Model is a secret, the Pentagon will tell allies on Friday that it will significantly reduce its involvement. It is not clear how quickly that scenario will unfold.

The outlet detailed that President Donald Trump wants European countries to take responsibility for the continent’s security.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he couldn’t disclose upcoming announcements but the decision was “to be expected” and NATO seeks to “end the over-reliance.” “I think it’s only right that it happens,” Rutte said.