According to U.S. broadcaster NBC, citing six anonymous sources from the U.S. and Europe, some American troops may leave Poland and Romania. However, the Pentagon has not confirmed this information yet.
What is currently known is that the U.S. will leave the Rzeszów airbase in southeastern Poland. The U.S. European and African Command, based in Wiesbaden, announced plans to withdraw troops from this location.
There are about 100,000 U.S. soldiers stationed in Europe, with 65,000 on a permanent basis, and the rest rotating.
U.S. Army Europe commander Christopher Donahue explained that the relocation of troops is aimed at “saving tens of millions of dollars for American taxpayers.” However, Polish President Andrzej Duda emphasized that it is a matter of troop relocation, not a full withdrawal of American forces from the country. Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak posted on X (formerly Twitter) that U.S. soldiers will remain in Poland, “but in different locations.” This was agreed upon within NATO back in 2024.
Rzeszów is considered an important logistical hub for providing military assistance to Ukraine. Poland and other NATO allies will be responsible for securing the airport after the U.S. departure. In January 2025, the German military deployed two Patriot air defense systems in the area.
