Donald Trump has announced he will deploy an “additional” 5,000 US troops to Poland, just days after the Pentagon controversially halted a long-planned deployment of forces to the country – the largest on Nato’s eastern flank.

“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 on Truth Social.

It was not immediately clear whether the deployment would be rotational or permanent, or if there was any link to Trump’s previous decision to pull 5,000 troops out from Germany. There are about 10,000 US troops in Poland.

The announcement seems to mark a rare U-turn after the Pentagon said earlier this week it would delay a rotation of 4,000 US troops from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division to Poland as part of a broader review of the US force posture in Europe.

Trump’s vice-president, JD Vance, defended the decision as recently as Wednesday, telling a Polish reporter that the US wanted Europe to take more responsibility for its defence and security, adding “Poland is capable of defending itself with a lot of support from the United States.” He criticised the media for “overreacting” over what he said was “a very minor thing” and “a standard delay.”

But the original decision – which appeared to catch Warsaw by surprise – prompted anxious reactions from top Polish leaders worried about the assertive Russian stance in the region amid continuing war in Ukraine, and drew criticism in the US Congress.

The announcement comes just hours before the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, is due to take part in a Nato ministerial meeting in Sweden after weeks of tense relations between the US administration and its European allies caused by their refusal to get involved in the Iran war.

Before leaving for the meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Sweden, Rubio on Thursday said Trump was “very disappointed” in alliance members who had not allowed the US to use bases on their territory for the war, singling out Spain in particular.

“You have countries like Spain denying us the use of these bases – well then why are you in Nato? That’s a very fair question,” Rubio told reporters in Miami. “In fairness, other countries in Nato have been very helpful. But we need to discuss that.“

Trump has fiercely criticised Nato members for not doing more to help the US-Israeli military campaign. He has said he is considering withdrawing from the alliance and questioned whether Washington was bound to honour its mutual defence pact.

Nato officials have stressed the US did not ask the 32-member alliance to take part in the Iran war, but many members have honoured commitments to allow US forces to use their airspace and bases on their territory.

European concerns about Trump’s attitude toward Nato were also exacerbated this year by Trump’s push to acquire Greenland, a territory of fellow Nato member Denmark.

Over the years, Poland has sought to position itself as a top US ally in Europe, with its troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the country leading defence spending charts among Nato’s European members.

Announcing the additional troops, Trump pointedly praised his relationship with Poland’s conservative president, Karol Nawrocki, who unexpectedly won the last year’s presidential election after being hosted by Trump at the White House in the final weeks of the campaign. The pair has had a close relationship ever since, with Trump regularly referencing the importance of his endorsement for Nawrocki’s election.

Despite the announcement being made late in the evening in Europe, the Polish president immediately thanked Trump “for his friendship towards Poland … the practical dimension of which we see very clearly today.”

“I stand and will continue to stand guard over the Polish-American alliance – a vital pillar of security for every Polish home and for all of Europe,” Nawrocki said.

Poland’s defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz also said Trump’s decision “confirms the Polish-American relations are very strong, and that Poland is a model and ironclad ally.”

Earlier this week, Kosiniak-Kamysz sought urgent talks with US defence secretary Pete Hegseth to get clarity on the original decision, telling reporters that he hoped “all misunderstandings, or media noise, will be explained in the coming days.”

With Reuters