US Vice President J.D. Vance said that the deployment of US troops in Poland has been postponed, but categorically rejected claims that Washington intends to withdraw its forces from Europe, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The information about the possible postponement of the deployment of about 4,000 US soldiers in Poland has drawn criticism from US lawmakers, who expressed concerns that President Donald Trump may weaken support for European allies.
At a briefing at the White House, Vance said that the US wants to encourage Europe to “take more responsibility“ for its own defense.
“This is not about withdrawing every single American soldier from Europe. It is about reallocating some resources in a way that maximizes American security. I don't think that's a bad thing for Europe“, he stressed.
Washington has been reviewing its military presence on the continent for months amid Trump's position that NATO should take on a greater share of responsibility for defending Europe.
Vance clarified that this is not about reducing American forces in Poland.
“We have not reduced the number of troops in Poland by 4,000. What we have done is postpone the deployment of a unit that was supposed to arrive there. "This is a standard rotation delay that sometimes happens," he said.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that it was a "temporary delay" related to the reduction of the number of US brigade combat groups in Europe from four to three.
He said the decision was part of a "comprehensive and multi-layered process" aimed at optimizing the deployment of US forces in Europe.
"The Department of Defense will determine the final disposition of these and other US forces in Europe after further analysis of US strategic and operational requirements, as well as the ability of our allies to contribute to the defense of the continent," Parnell said.
He added that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had spoken with his Polish counterpart Wladyslaw Koszyniak-Kamisz and confirmed that the US will maintain close coordination with Warsaw to ensure the maintenance of a strong American military presence in Poland.