Poland Offers to Host US Troops Withdrawn from Germany

Polish President Karol Nawrocki offers to host US troops that President Trump ordered withdrawn from Germany, vowing to personally lobby Trump. Poland currently hosts around 10,000 U.S. troops while Germany has roughly 36,000. The move breaks with Prime Minister Donald Tusk's May 4, 2026 warning against poaching troops from allies, though Tusk said Poland would welcome increased US presence. Talks between Warsaw and Washington are underway at military and diplomatic levels.

US troop presence in Poland

• ▪Radosław Sikorski told a defense conference in Warsaw that additional U.S. forces will be welcome in Poland regardless of where they are redeployed from
• ▪Germany has roughly 36,000 U.S. troops
• ▪Poland currently hosts around 10,000 U.S. troops

Tusk-Nawrocki political divide

• ▪The opposition Law and Justice party accused Donald Tusk of prioritizing Berlin over Polish security
• ▪Nawrocki is in the Law and Justice party political camp
• ▪Donald Tusk and Nawrocki are at loggerheads on several issues

Warsaw-Washington negotiations

• ▪Talks between Warsaw and Washington over expanding the U.S. military presence in Poland are underway at both the military and diplomatic levels
• ▪The Polish government did not want U.S. troops pulled from Germany in the first place
• ▪Poland would not object if U.S. troops leaving Germany ended up in Poland

European unity concerns

• ▪Donald Tusk said he would not allow Poland to be used to break European unity
• ▪Donald Tusk said Poland would take any opportunity to increase the U.S. presence on its territory
• ▪Donald Tusk warned on May 4, 2026 that Poland should not poach troops from allies

Perspective of Polish President Karol Nawrocki and Law and Justice party

• ▪The opposition Law and Justice party accused Donald Tusk of prioritizing Berlin over Polish security
• ▪Polish President Karol Nawrocki vowed to personally lobby President Trump to host US troops withdrawn from Germany

Perspective of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk

• ▪Donald Tusk warned on May 4, 2026 that Poland should not poach troops from allies
• ▪Donald Tusk said he would not allow Poland to be used to break European unity