WARSAW — In mid-May 2026, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth canceled the deployment of more than 4,000 soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Hood, Texas, to Poland. Some of the troops had already arrived in Poland before the cancellation was announced.

Representative Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, called the decision “reprehensible” and said Polish officials had contacted him seeking clarification. “They did not know, they were blindsided,” Bacon said. “These are some of our best allies, and they had no idea. They still don’t know what the plan is.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded by reaffirming Poland’s commitment to the alliance, stating, “You have a friend here. You have the most loyal ally. America won't find a better ally anywhere.” His remarks came as unease grew in Warsaw over the abrupt change in U.S. military posture.

Jacek Siewiera, former head of Poland’s National Security Bureau, said the confusion created “unnecessary strategic ambiguity” because “parts of the Western security community are shooting themselves in the foot through poor strategic communication.” He added that “contradictory political messaging weakens deterrence and creates the perception of instability precisely when Russia is actively testing Alliance cohesion.” Siewiera also noted that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “fundamentally transformed Poland’s strategic mindset,” while “turbulence inside the transatlantic relationship” has led Poland to consider a future without full U.S. backing.

Poland spends 4.8% of its GDP on defense, the highest percentage among NATO members, exceeding the Trump Administration’s benchmark of 5% for alliance contributions. Despite this investment, a recent survey found that 53.2% of Poles do not consider the United States a reliable ally, compared to 29.9% who do. A Pentagon spokesman claimed the cancellation of the troop deployment “was not an unexpected, last-minute decision.”