President Donald J. Trump participates in a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda Wednesday, June 24, 2020, in the Rose Garden of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
The Foreign Policy Security Brief details President Trump’s decision to draw down troops in Germany. It appears most of the troops will come home, with a 1,000 man contingent heading to nearby Poland. FP writes:
U.S. President Donald Trump is forging ahead with plans to reduce the U.S. military footprint in Europe, announcing that the United States will deploy 1,000 additional troops to Poland while doubling down on plans to cut back the number of troops stationed in Germany. Polish President Andrzej Duda visited Washington on Wednesday—the first foreign leader to set foot in the White House since March.
During the visit, Trump announced that he would send troops to Poland and said Warsaw had offered to foot the bill. “We’re going to be reducing our forces in Germany. Some will be coming home, and some will be going to other places. But Poland would be one of those other places—other places in Europe,” he said.
On the face of it, it’s a win for Poland, which has been itching for a greater U.S. troop presence to bolster NATO deterrence against Russia—at one point even courting the president with a proposal to build a “Fort Trump” to host the troops.
