Poland’s National Security Bureau (BBN) said on Saturday that recent changes to U.S. military rotation plans in Europe are part of a broader strategic reorganization and do not
pose a direct threat to Poland’s security.
In a statement posted on X, the bureau said the adjustments are linked to the planned withdrawal of the U.S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment from Vilseck, Germany, emphasizing that Washington remains Warsaw’s key strategic ally. According to the BBN, around 10,000 American troops and civilian defense personnel are currently stationed in Poland.
The bureau stressed that reports suggesting a suspension of troop rotations or a reduction in the U.S. military presence “do not directly and ultimately concern Poland.”
BBN noted that a new rotation of the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Texas, is already underway. More than 20 percent of the incoming personnel and roughly 70 percent of the military equipment designated for the deployment have already arrived in Poland, it said.
Officials also indicated that once withdrawn from Germany, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment could potentially replace part of an Armored Brigade Combat Team previously scheduled for deployment to Poland.
At the same time, the bureau pointed to a lack of clarity regarding possible changes to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), signed in 2020 to regulate the presence of U.S. forces in Poland. It added that the Polish Defense Ministry had not received prior notice about modifications to American troop movement schedules.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz sought to calm concerns, saying there had been no decision to scale back U.S. involvement in Poland. He described Polish-American relations as being built on “daily cooperation, mutual engagement and trust.”
Prime Minister Donald Tusk also dismissed concerns on Friday, describing the troop movements as logistical changes that would not undermine Poland’s security.
The comments followed a Reuters report citing anonymous U.S. officials who said the Pentagon had canceled plans to rotate approximately 4,000 troops to Poland. CNN later reported that the move was part of wider efforts to reduce the American military footprint across Europe. Photo by Sgt. William A. Tanner, U.S. Army, Wikimedia commons.