The announcement by Donald Trump that an additional 5,000 American troops would be deployed to Poland has triggered a wave of commentary in the German press. Local commentators accuse the US president of increasingly tying troop deployments to his personal political sympathies. There are also claims that such an approach could weaken the credibility of NATO and hand arguments to… Moscow.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Thursday on the Truth Social platform that he had decided to send an “additional” 5,000 troops to Poland. He stated that the decision was made “based on” his relationship with President Karol Nawrocki, whom he – as he recalled – supported ahead of the 2025 election.
“There will be no reduction in the number of American troops. Once again, I thank President Trump – I have already thanked him for this – because American soldiers, together with Polish soldiers, Polish generals, and our armed forces, are a guarantee of security for all of us. This is obvious. Every political camp should understand that our alliance with the United States is strategic, the most important for our economy, technological development, and our security,” said President Karol Nawrocki a few days earlier at a rally in Bielany-Jarosławy.
German media in unison: criticism of Trump
A few days after the decision was announced, a debate erupted across German media – almost in identical terms. German commentators accuse Donald Trump of favoring those who “flatter him”, as well as “treating American soldiers like candy that can be handed out to well-behaved children at will.”
“President Trump first announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany after being irritated by remarks from the German chancellor regarding his Iran strategy. And now he explains the relocation of another exactly 5,000 troops to Poland by the fact that the presidential election there was won by Karol Nawrocki, whom he supported,” we read in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
According to the paper’s commentator, this is not “simply an ongoing process” of reviewing the United States’ global military presence, as claimed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “This is Trump-style foreign policy: those who flatter him gain his favor; those who criticize him feel his anger.”
The same newspaper argues that such actions “send a troubling signal to Russia.” “This is yet another disastrous signal Trump is sending to Moscow. The conclusion Putin may draw from the turmoil of recent weeks is that Trump’s willingness to defend an ally, in case of doubt, depends on whether he personally likes that country’s political leaders.”
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung also writes that Europe should prepare for greater responsibility for its own security. “In the near future, the issue will be establishing a new division of tasks within NATO, in which Europeans will take on greater responsibility for conventional security on their continent. Europe must become militarily independent from America – as quickly and as comprehensively as possible.”
“Soldiers like candy.” A German newspaper really wrote that
Trump’s decision is also condemned by another German title – Süddeutsche Zeitung. The Munich-based daily recalls that the presence of US troops in Europe had for decades symbolized NATO security guarantees.
“American soldiers have always been a visible, tangible proof that the sitting US president has the political will to honor America’s commitment to support Europe in the event of a Russian attack,” the paper notes.
According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, Trump’s current decision marks a departure from that logic. “Nothing confirms this as clearly as Trump’s latest announcement that he will send 5,000 troops to Poland. The justification had nothing to do with strategy or deterrence, but resulted from personal preferences. Donald Trump wants to send troops to Poland because he likes the right-wing populist president Karol Nawrocki.”
The commentator uses a rather infantilizing comparison: “For Trump, American soldiers are like candy that can be handed out to well-behaved children at will; those less well-behaved – meaning the German chancellor critical of the war with Iran – are denied sweets.”
The article also includes an ironic conclusion regarding European security, questioning the transatlantic alliance. “Anyone in Europe who still truly believes that the current US administration can be trusted with regard to their security should put a tooth under their pillow. It is quite possible that at night the tooth fairy will bring a gift in the form of an American brigade.”
Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, in turn, assesses that the actions of the Trump administration are driven solely by US interests. “Whether it is Ukraine, Iran, Greenland, Venezuela, or now Cuba – this is about interests.”
The paper also defends the German chancellor for criticizing US actions toward Iran. “Besides, it is commendable that the German chancellor criticized Trump’s ill-considered war with Iran. Finally! The United States needs bases like Ramstein to pursue its selfish interests. In this context, the attempt at blackmail by Marco Rubio is simply a bad joke.”
The Berlin-based Junge Welt also comments on Trump’s decision, pointing to “possible political consequences in Poland.”
“Trump’s decision may tilt the balance between the two competing political camps in Poland in favor of the currently opposition right,” the paper writes.
The daily also comments on the reaction of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. “When it comes to strengthening the armed forces and ‘defensive capabilities,’ Poland no longer knows party divisions. Therefore, Prime Minister Donald Tusk hastened to thank his political rival Nawrocki for ‘his commitment.’”
According to Junge Welt, such a gesture may have political consequences. “By doing so, he does neither himself nor the rule-of-law state any favor in political competition. After all, in Poland too, the separation of powers and division of competences apply. Nawrocki is constantly striving to expand his powers beyond those provided in the constitution. With Trump’s help.”