Poland wants more US troops but not at Germany’s expense, says Tusk

May 5, 2026 | Defence, Featured, Politics

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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk has confirmed that Poland would like to host more US troops but says it does not want to “poach” those that President Trump recently ordered to leave Germany, as that would “undermine European solidarity”.

His remarks have been strongly criticised by the opposition, who say that Tusk is prioritising Germany’s interests over Poland’s security.

The US last week announced that it would withdraw around 5,000 of the 36,000 troops it has stationed in Germany. That decision came after Trump reacted angrily to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s claim that Washington was being “humiliated” in its negotiations with Iran.

The move prompted reports that the forces being removed from Germany could be redeployed to Poland, which has long been seeking to increase the contingent of around 10,000 US personnel that it currently hosts.

However, speaking to reporters on Monday, Tusk said that, while Poland would take “any opportunity to increase the American presence in Poland”, he did not want this to come at the expense of Germany or any other European allies.

“I don’t think that we, as a country, should be poaching [troops],” said the prime minister. “I will not allow Poland to be used in any way to undermine solidarity or cooperation at the European level.”

“We need an American presence not only in Poland but also elsewhere [in Europe], because it serves Polish security in one way or another,” he added.

 

Tusk’s comments were immediately criticised by the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS), Poland’s main opposition party, as well as figures associated with PiS-aligned President Karol Nawrocki, who is a close Trump ally.

“How can one prioritise the interests and comfort of a neighbouring country over the security of one’s own? That is unheard of,” tweeted Nawrocki’s chief foreign policy aide, Marcin Przydacz.

“Tusk is revealing his true colours again,” wrote PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński, who has long argued that Tusk pursues German, rather than Polish, interests. “Tusk means Berlin. No sensible person can now deny this.”

Earlier on Monday, before Tusk’s remarks, deputy defence minister Paweł Zalewski had told broadcaster RMF FM that Poland is “in talks with the Pentagon about increasing American capabilities in Poland”. However, when asked about those comments, Tusk noted that “we have been in these talks for two years”.

“From the beginning of our government [in December 2023], we have been very consistent in our efforts and will continue to strive for the maximum presence of American forces in Poland,” added the prime minister.

Tusk also noted that, despite the government and president regularly clashing on a range of issues, they are united in their desire for the US to increase its military presence in Poland.

On Monday evening, interior minister Marcin Kierwiński told Polsat News that Poland would welcome additional US troops “regardless of where they are deployed from”. However, he said that the bigger problem is that Trump is talking of reducing the overall American presence in Europe.


Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: Mikołaj Bujak/IPN (under CC BY-SA 4.0)

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