Listen to this article
Average 4 minutes
The audio version of this article was created by AI-based technology. It can be mispronounced. We are working with our partners to continuously review and improve the results.
US President Donald Trump surprised NATO allies by pledging to send 5,000 more troops to Poland, hours before the alliance’s foreign ministers meet in Sweden on Friday amid deep divisions over the Iran war.
Trump, in the book Truth Social, cited his relationship with Poland’s nationalist president, Karol Nawrocki, as a reason for his decision.
It was a surprising turn of events after weeks when Trump sharply criticized NATO members for not doing more to help the US-Israeli military campaign. He said he was considering withdrawing from the alliance and questioned whether Washington was obligated to honor its defense pact.
“It’s really confusing, and it’s not always easy to navigate,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told reporters.
European fears about Trump’s commitment to NATO have grown with the decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Europe, which came before Thursday’s pledge to send more troops to Poland.
It was not immediately clear where the additional Polish troops would come from. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would return to the Pentagon to answer that question.
Washington’s allies are also confused and unsatisfied with the way the decision was passed. US officials initially said troops would be withdrawn from Germany but later said they would delay sending a contingent to Poland.
Ahead of the meeting, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the US planned to tell NATO allies that it would reduce the number of military capabilities it makes available to the troubled alliance.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Friday refused to give details to reporters. Rutte said America’s contribution to the so-called energy model was being discussed, as the US “cannot be everywhere at the same time,” but added that he could not elaborate.
“Of course, this is very divided because we don’t want to make anyone smarter, but this is an existing process, this is not something new,” said Rutte.
The US has many responsibilities, Rubio said
Rubio said after the meeting that America’s “power posture” commitments in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and the Western hemisphere meant that European commitments needed to be simplified.
“I understand why it creates panic,” Rubio said. “There is widespread recognition that ultimately there will be fewer American troops in Europe than before, for a variety of reasons.”
CBC’s Rosemary Barton talks to National Defense Minister David McGuinty about Canada recently reaching the NATO target of two percent of GDP spent on defence, what this says about the current state of global security, and how challenging it will be to maintain this level of spending.
Rubio also said that there are coalition members “more affected” by the reduction of Iran’s freedom of movement in the Strait of Hormuz than the US, which affects the flow of resources around the world.
Other NATO countries with mine-sweeping capabilities could help with the problem, Rubio said, but added, “we don’t have your announcement today about something happening.”
Rubio said earlier in the day that Trump was “very disappointed” by coalition members who were not allowing the US to use bases in its territory for war, specifically Spain.
NATO officials have insisted that it is a defensive alliance, and that the US has not asked the 32-member alliance to take part in the war on Iran. Some members of the alliance eventually honored commitments to allow US forces to use their airspace and bases on their territory.
European concerns about Trump’s attitude toward NATO have been heightened this year by Trump’s push for Greenland, the territory of NATO member Denmark. Periodic tariff threats directed by Trump at members of each organization have also been a source of frustration.
Rubio said an Arctic security meeting is taking place, although Greenland was not specifically discussed.
Regarding Canada, which has more reason to make a pledge of last year’s NATO member to increase defense spending, the Pentagon in recent days said it wants to see a clear plan of how Ottawa plans to meet the commitment to spend 3.5 percent of GDP on the military, and an additional 1.5 percent on defense infrastructure.
