European allies baffled by shifting US troop deployment announcements

BRUSSELS (Yonhap News) = European allies are bewildered by the repeated flip-flopping on the deployment of US forces in Europe, driven by a single remark from US President Donald Trump.

President Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social on the 21st (local time) that "the US will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland in consideration of my relationship with President Karol Nałęczowski of Poland."

While it is unclear whether this statement means resuming the previously postponed deployment of 4,000 US troops to Poland or reassigning the 5,000 troops slated for reduction from Germany to Poland, both Poland, the party concerned, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte immediately expressed their welcome.

However, as President Trump's remarks have been constantly changing in recent weeks regarding the reduction and redeployment of US forces in Europe, European allies are half-believing this announcement and are keenly watching to ascertain the true intentions behind the US redeployment of forces in Europe.

According to AFP, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told reporters on the 22nd at a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, southern Sweden, "It is truly confusing and difficult to grasp the situation."

Amid widespread concern that US troop deployment, which has critical implications for European security, is being announced without prior coordination with European allies, European allies at the meeting also bombarded US Secretary of State Marco Rubio with requests to clarify the situation regarding the redeployment of US forces in Europe.

In response, Secretary Rubio emphasized that decisions regarding the deployment of US forces in Europe are not "punitive measures" and that the US needs to continuously "re-evaluate" troop deployments to meet global needs.

Currently, there are approximately 80,000 US troops stationed in Europe, and the US Department of Defense must maintain at least 76,000 troops and major equipment in Europe unless prior consultation with NATO allies is conducted.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide pointed out, "What is important is that these changes are made systematically." "This way, when the US reduces its forces, Europe can fill the gap."

Bewilderment surrounding the redeployment of US forces in Europe is not limited to Europe. US defense officials visiting Sweden for the NATO foreign ministers' meeting also anonymously told AP, "We have spent most of the last two weeks responding to (President Trump's) initial announcement." "We don't know what this announcement means either."

President Trump abruptly announced at the beginning of this month that he would reduce the 5,000 US troops stationed in Germany, shortly after an argument with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the war with Iran. In response, President Nałęczowski of Poland requested that the troops withdrawing from Germany be sent to Poland, and President Trump hinted that he could accept this. However, last week, he suddenly canceled the plan to deploy 4,000 US Army rotational forces already heading to Poland, causing Poland and European allies considerable difficulty in discerning the US's intentions.

Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated at the NATO foreign ministers' meeting that "it was clear that the US would redeploy troops stationed in Europe" and welcomed the news of the additional deployment of 5,000 US troops to Poland, which was reported just before the NATO foreign ministers' meeting.

Minister Wadephul added, "We are requesting that the US maintain its existing plan to deploy long-range missiles to Germany."

Former US President Joe Biden had promised to deploy US-made medium- and long-range missiles, including Tomahawks, to Germany at the 2024 NATO summit, but the US Department of Defense had withdrawn the missile deployment plan as part of its plan to reduce US forces in Germany.