President Donald Trump on Thursday said the U.S. will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, stirring confusion following weeks of changing statements from Trump and his administration about reducing — not increasing — the American military footprint in Europe.

The Trump administration has said it was reducing levels in Europe by about 5,000 troops, and U.S. officials confirmed about 4,000 service members were no longer deploying to Poland. Trump’s social media announcement raises more uncertainty for European allies that have been blindsided by the changes as the administration has complained about NATO members not shouldering enough of the burden of their own defense and failing to do more to support the Iran war.

“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.

Trump and the Pentagon have said in recent weeks that they were drawing down at least 5,000 troops in Germany after Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized what he called a lack of strategy in the war.

Trump then told reporters at the beginning of the month that the U.S. would be “cutting a lot further than 5,000.”

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    • Zedstrian@sopuli.xyz
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      1 day ago

      The U.S. has a law that allows for an invasion of The Hague if Americans are prosecuted there to the same standard as anyone else.

      • Jiral@lemmy.org
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        1 day ago

        Lame attempt of whataboutism. While that law is scandalous it is not about occupying but about retrival of a person. The US has kaws that enable it to attCk any country it wants, that diesn’t mean ig is actively threatening with it.