Vance insisted the contingent that had been expected to be sent to Poland, which views Washington as its main security guarantor amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, had been delayed rather than withdrawn. The comments came as senior Polish officials seek clarity after the Pentagon halted the planned deployment of about 4,000 American troops, triggering consternation in Poland. Asked whether the delayed deployment would eventually be sent to Poland, Vance told reporters on Tuesday: “Those troops could go somewhere else in Europe. We could decide to send them elsewhere. We have not made a final determination of where those troops are gonna go.” He added: “We have not reduced the troop level by 4,000 troops. What we did, we delayed a troop deployment that was going to go to Poland. “That’s not a reduction, that’s just a standard delay in rotation that sometimes happens in these situations”. He also said that Poland “is capable of defending itself with a lot of support from the United States.” His comments are likely to fuel security concerns in Poland, a staunch US ally that fears Russian aggression, rather than assuage them. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz insisted earlier on Tuesday after speaking to US War Secretary Pete Hegseth that "no decision has been made to reduce US military capabilities in Poland.” The country hosts around 10,000 US military personnel—the second-largest American military presence in Europe after Germany—most of them deployed on a rotational basis. ‘Model ally’ As US attention has been shifting towards the Indo-Pacific and other priority theaters, Washington has been demanding that European NATO allies take on more of the financial burden for their security. Warsaw has been fulfilling these demands, however. Described by US officials as a “model ally,” Poland is one of NATO’s highest defense spenders as a share of GDP as well as a major buyer of US military hardware. NATO's top commander, General Alexus Grynkewich, said on Tuesday in Brussels that the US would pull more troops from Europe but the process would stretch over years to give allies time to develop capabilities to replace them. He was speaking after decisions by President Donald Trump's administration to withdraw some 5,000 troops from Germany. At the White House, Vance told a press briefing: “We're not talking about pulling every single American troop out of Europe. We're talking about shifting some resources around in a way that maximizes American security.” He added that the US wants Europe to “stand on its own two feet” and take “more ownership over its continental integrity.”
