The US Department of Defense has canceled the deployment of more than 4,000 US soldiers from a combat brigade in Europe, DPA reports, News.bg reports.
The decision surprised some military officials, as preparations for the mission were already at an advanced stage.
According to a Pentagon representative, the decision was announced during a meeting with the participation of the US European Command and representatives of the US Army.
The initial plan was to send the soldiers to Poland for a nine-month rotation.
Back in March, the US Army announced that the brigade would replace other units as part of the regular change of forces in the region. According to the Wall Street Journal, some of the equipment and personnel were already in the process of moving, which made the decision even more unexpected.
Pentagon sources indicate that the European Command has recommended that no more than 4,000 new troops be sent after the current rotation expires, but has not insisted that the mission be terminated immediately.
According to the specialized publication Task & Purpose soldiers were supposed to work with Polish forces as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
The mission was created in 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea to strengthen the security of European NATO allies.
The news comes about two weeks after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany.
Poland then said it was ready to accept additional U.S. forces.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said that about 10,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed in the country, most of whom are on regular rotations between military bases in Europe.