Repositioning of US forces in Poland planned in advance - NATO
The repositioning of US personnel and equipment in Poland was planned in advance and executed in close collaboration with allies, partners and NATO, a senior official from the alliance's centre in Brussels has told PAP.
PAP was also told that this development would not affect the capacity of NATO or the US to ensure security for Ukraine.
It was also mentioned that a new allied initiative, known as NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), was currently assuming control over the coordination of aid for Ukraine.
NSATU was initiated by former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during the alliance's summit in Washington in 2024. The mission takes over a portion of the logistics for aid to Ukraine from the United States.
Stoltenberg's initiative at that time was perceived as a strategy to maintain support for Ukraine in the event of Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential elections.
On Monday, the United States Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) command announced on its website the planned relocation of US military equipment and personnel from Jasionka, located in southeastern Poland, to various other locations within the country. "This transition is part of a broader strategy to optimise U.S. military operations, improving the level of support to Allies and partners while also enhancing efficiencies," the command stated.
US soldiers were deployed to Jasionka at the onset of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, the airport has served as a crucial logistics hub for the transport of Western military assistance to Ukraine, safeguarded by the US Patriot air defence missile system.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday that the withdrawal of US troops from the airport in Jasionka had been previously announced and consulted. He added that the US administration said that American soldiers would continue to be deployed in Poland and that the relocation was not synonymous with the reduction of US military presence in Poland or Europe. (PAP)
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