V Corps commander Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza speaks to soldiers during a transfer of authority ceremony in Boleslawiec, Poland, on Oct. 28, 2025. (Suzanne Ringle/U.S. Army)
STUTTGART, Germany — Key NATO ally Poland said it was told that the American military footprint will be maintained in the country, which has emerged as the center of gravity for the U.S. Army in Europe.
“We have received confirmation that there will be no reduction in the presence of American troops in Poland,” Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said in a statement Thursday.
There are now about 8,000 troops in the country, mostly carrying out missions on a rotational basis with the aim of deterring Russian aggression.
A line of 3rd Infantry Division M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles drives to their objective near Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, on July 28, 2025. (Christopher Saunders/U.S. Army)
Poland’s announcement comes on the heels of a decision Wednesday to end the deployment of a rotational U.S. Army brigade to Romania, where the Defense Department had increased troop levels in the aftermath of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The situation has prompted some allies to seek answers about U.S. military plans for Europe, where an ongoing Pentagon force posture review could entail more cuts.
Along NATO’s eastern flank, there is heightened concern about the future of the U.S. commitment to collective defense.
In all, there are about 85,000 U.S. troops in Europe, roughly 20,000 of whom are on rotational missions. Germany is home to the largest American contingent, with some 38,000 troops spread out at various bases and garrisons in the country.
Poland joins Estonia in receiving notification that there are no plans for Pentagon troop cuts in their countries.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously offered reassurances to Warsaw that the U.S. military presence in Poland was on firm ground.
And in September, President Donald Trump said he was open to the idea of increasing the American troop commitment in Poland.
