Top US Republicans on Friday condemned the Pentagon for canceling the deployment of US troops to Poland, a sudden move that also appeared to surprise Army leaders.
The decision, members of the House Armed Services Committee said, was tantamount to a blow to the NATO ally and to Congress, which has tried to strengthen the US presence in Europe. They made the concerns clear in a meeting with the leaders of the Army, where the top civil and military leaders had few answers about the logic of the move and confirmed its deadline.
“I just want to say this is a slap in the face to Poland; it’s a slap in the face to our Baltic friends,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska). “It’s a slap in the face to this committee.”
The blow comes after lawmakers, European allies and even Pentagon staff they were caught with flat feet and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to end a long-planned nine-month rotation of 4,000 troops based in Texas.
The move is the latest in a rift between the Trump administration and Republicans on Capitol Hill who have been at odds over US security interests in Europe. Parliamentariansto be limitedabout the departure of troops from Europe last year amid concerns that the administration would reduce troops in the continent unilaterally.
“We don’t know what’s going on here, but I can just tell you that we’re not happy with what’s being said, especially since there’s been no legal consultation with us,” Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Alabama) said.
Lawmakers asked Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Acting Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve to explain why the cancellation took place. The two indicated that the administration made the decision in recent weeks and did not give a reason for it.
Their acknowledgment of the suddenness of the decision stands in contrast to the Pentagon’s public statement on the move. Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez said Thursday that the decision was “not an unexpected, last-minute decision.”
Representative Austin Scott (R-Georgia), who pushed Army officials on the timeline, said their testimony contradicts what has been made public.
“I don’t see how the (Pentagon) statement can be true,” he said.
LaNeve told lawmakers Friday that the decision to cancel the troop deployment was made after Hegseth’s office ordered the head of U.S. European Union Command, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, to reduce troop levels on the continent. The decision was “recent” and came “probably within the last two weeks,” he said.
LaNeve also confirmed that some elements of the brigade and equipment were already in Europe or en route when Hegseth pushed for the deployment.
Driscoll did not elaborate on the move, but said the Army was willing to adjust its plans based on the “preferences” of regional commanders or the secretary of Defense. “This is not meant to hide the ball, this is to say this type of conversation continues throughout the year every year,” he said.
The Polish circuit is the latest decision to be scrutinized by the hawkish defense wing of President Donald Trump’s party. Administrationselect remove5,000 troops from Germany last month, a move that came after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the US was “humiliating” itself with the Iran war. It also decided not to replace the squad that left Romania at the end of last year.
Trump has long attacked European nations, saying they have been free to spend US defense money, although he has praised Poland as an “exemplary partner” for its large military budget.
The convergence of military movements in Europe has been read by some of Trump’s allies on Capitol Hill as undermining NATO — and Congress.
“I can’t represent 100 percent of the people on this committee, but I think I represent the opinion of the majority,” Bacon said of the disbandment of Polish troops. “We disagree.”
The panel’s top Democrat, Representative Adam Smith of Washington, said Army leaders should be able to give direct answers to lawmakers.
“The only response I’ve gotten is, ‘Well, that’s what they told us to do.’ Okay, why?” Smith told Army brass. “If there is some strategy behind it, then you guys should know and should be able to communicate with us.”
