HELSINGBORG, Sweden -- Poland's foreign minister said US troop levels in the NATO ally will remain roughly the same amid new confusion following US President Donald Trump's announcement that a brigade-size unit would in fact be deployed there.
Radoslaw Sikorski made the comments on May 22 in Sweden, ahead of talks with NATO foreign ministers, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The US intentions have added further anxiety to the summit, which is already clouded by a major Russian nuclear exercise in Belarus and new Russian threats toward NATO's Baltic members.
Sikorski thanked Trump for "his announcement that the rotation, the presence of American troops in Poland, will be maintained more or less at previous levels."
A day earlier, in a post to social media, Trump, who has publicly questioned US military commitments in Europe, said the US would be sending an additional 5,000 troops to Poland. Trump cited the "the successful election" of Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who took office last August, as the main reason.
That announcement followed another from Trump earlier this month that 5,000 troops would be withdrawn from Germany. The Pentagon later confirmed it was postponing a planned deployment of roughly 4,000 troops to Poland and shelving plans to deploy a battalion of ground-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany.
Trump has publicly clashed with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in recent weeks, in particular over whether NATO should play a greater role in the US-Israeli war against Iran
Rubio's participation at the meeting in Helsingborg -- a Swedish port just across the water from NATO member Denmark -- is one of the final senior-level ministerial meetings before alliance leaders convene for a summit in Ankara in July.
According to the State Department, Rubio was expected to press allies for higher defense spending and "greater burden sharing" while also focusing on Arctic security.
But the meeting comes at a moment of deep unease.
European officials are seeking clarity on how much Washington plans to scale back its military presence on the continent following a series of abrupt Pentagon moves that have rattled the alliance.
'Kept In The Dark'
A senior European diplomat, speaking to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity, warned that the alliance's core deterrence was being undermined by a lack of communication.
"The worst thing is the fact that the continent is seemingly being kept in the dark about the scope of this drawdown," the diplomat said, noting that frontline states such as the Baltic countries are struggling to plan.
"NATO's effectiveness rested on the idea that it was unbreakable," the diplomat said. "Now, in a divorce, you start to see the cracks appearing."
Administration officials have insisted the moves are temporary adjustments rather than a strategic retreat.
US Vice President JD Vance recently said the administration's focus remains on "European independence and sovereignty."
NATO's Baltic members have been rattled over the past week over a series of escalating threats from Moscow regarding Ukrainian drone flight. Ukraine has stepped up its long-range drone campaign against Russian targets; some of its drones have crashed or been shot down in Estonia and Latvia.
This week, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service accused Latvia of plans to allow Ukraine to launch its drones from Latvian territory.
The accusation prompted strong pushback from European allies. Lithuania accused Russia of jamming Ukrainian drones and deliberately trying to cause them to enter or crash in Baltic airspace. And a Romanian fighter jet on NATO patrol shot down a drone over Estonia this week.
Russia also kicked off a major nuclear training exercise in Belarus this week, an exercises that included thousands of troops, and hundreds of aircraft, ships and missile launchers. The Defense Ministry said tactical nuclear warheads were also in use, an unusual measure.
Rubio As The 'Steady' Messenger
For many European officials, Rubio's presence offers a measure of reassurance. He is widely viewed in Brussels and Eastern European capitals as a more traditional supporter of NATO and European security than others in the Trump administration.
US Representative Don Bacon, a Republican and staunch NATO supporter, told RFE/RL that Rubio plays a key role in stabilizing relations. Bacon said he hoped Rubio would reinforce Washington's commitment to collective defense while urging European allies to increase defense spending.
Bacon has repeatedly argued that alliances remain central to US security interests and warned against isolationism amid growing threats from Russia, China, and Iran.
Those concerns were echoed on May 20 during Senate confirmation hearings for Trump's ambassadorial nominees to several European countries.
Michael Kavoukjian, nominated to serve as ambassador to Norway, described Oslo as "the eyes and ears of the alliance in the Arctic" and pledged to strengthen military and intelligence cooperation against growing Russian and Chinese activity.
Meanwhile, Eric Wendt, nominated to be ambassador to Albania, emphasized the importance of NATO burden-sharing and said he would push Tirana to meet alliance targets to increase defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product by 2035.
