US remains committed to Poland’s security, defense minister says after phone call with Hegseth

After speaking with his US counterpart by phone, Poland’s defense minister said Tuesday that the United States remains committed to Poland’s security amid concerns over a US decision to halt a planned troop rotation to the country.

Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured him that US engagement in Poland’s defense had not changed and that Warsaw “can count on the United States.” According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, Washington is currently reviewing force posture across Europe but no decision has been taken to reduce US military capabilities stationed in Poland.

After the phone call, Kosiniak-Kamysz said on US social media platform X that the ongoing military repositioning process “is not directed against our strategic partnership” and said both sides had agreed to continue work on strengthening Poland’s security and defining the long-term model for American military presence in the country.

The reassurances come days after US media reports that the Pentagon had cancelled a planned rotational deployment of around 4,000 soldiers from the US Army’s 1st Cavalry Division to Poland. The deployment had already entered advanced preparation stages before being halted.

The episode triggered concern in Poland because the US military presence has become one of the central pillars of the country’s defense policy since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk earlier said he had received assurances that the decision was logistical rather than strategic and insisted deterrence remained intact. He has also argued that maintaining transatlantic unity remains essential despite disagreements over burden-sharing inside NATO.

Kosiniak-Kamysz repeated that position on Tuesday, arguing that current Pentagon planning should be viewed as part of a broader redesign of US deployments in Europe rather than a signal aimed specifically at Poland.

That interpretation broadly matches comments from NATO military leadership.

Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s top operational commander in Europe, said this week that reductions in US troop levels would not weaken alliance defense plans because European allies and Canada are gradually assuming greater responsibility for conventional defense while maintaining US backing. The adjustment, he suggested, would take place over several years rather than through abrupt withdrawals.

Poland has emerged as one of NATO’s most militarized states since 2022 and is now among the alliance’s highest defense spenders as a share of GDP. Warsaw has invested heavily in US military cooperation through equipment purchases, logistics facilities, and permanent infrastructure for allied forces.