WARSAW (Realist English). Polish leadership has expressed serious concern over the Pentagon’s sudden cancellation of the deployment of more than 4,000 American troops to NATO’s eastern flank. Warsaw points to its status as Europe’s largest purchaser of American weapons in an attempt to retain the US contingent.
On May 18, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Deputy Prime Minister, Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz took part in a ceremony to open an engine servicing hub for Abrams tanks in eastern Poland. The event was intended to demonstrate the strength of transatlantic ties, but was overshadowed by Washington’s decision to halt a nine-month rotation of the US Army in Eastern Europe.
“American troops stationed in Poland and Europe provide security guarantees,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said. “But we have not only a US military presence, but also enormous strategic purchases. It is hard to find another country in the world that has invested so much in the best American equipment for its own needs.”
The minister reminded that in addition to tanks, Poland is buying fighter jets, helicopters, missiles, and rocket launchers from the United States. “More than $50 billion is the amount of purchases we are implementing in the United States. These are huge investments in the Polish-American alliance,” he stressed.
Warsaw demands that any reduction of the American presence in Europe not affect the forces already deployed in Poland. “We understand that a reorganization is underway,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said. “But it cannot come at the expense of America’s biggest ally in Europe. We invest about $15,000 annually for each American soldier – that sets us apart from other European countries.”
Currently, about 10,000 US troops are stationed in Poland, the majority on a rotational basis.
On May 13, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the cancellation of the planned nine-month rotation of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division from Texas to Poland. The cancellation came as soldiers were already preparing for deployment: the unit had cased its colors, sent an advance party, and shipped equipment abroad.
The decision was part of a broader review of the US military presence in Europe. Two weeks earlier, on May 1, the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany was announced. The cancellation of the rotation to Poland became the second step in this reorganization. According to CNN, Hegseth’s decision also canceled the deployment of the 3rd Battalion of the 12th Artillery Regiment to Germany and the withdrawal from Europe of the command responsible for long-range missiles.
Amid growing security uncertainty, on May 18 Poland and Honeywell signed an agreement to establish an authorized service center for AGT1500 engines used in Abrams tanks in Dęblin. This is only the third such center in the world (after the US and Australia) and the only one in Europe.
Prime Minister Tusk called this “the best proof of the strength, reliability, and long-term prospects of Polish-American cooperation.” The investment of 300 million zlotys (about $82 million) will go toward modernizing infrastructure, training personnel, and creating spare parts inventories.
Earlier, Poland faced serious difficulties in operating the gas turbine engines of the Abrams – there was no qualified center in Poland or Europe for their full maintenance and repair, so engines had to be sent to the United States for overhaul. The new center solves this problem.