GÖTEBORG, Sweden — Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to steady transatlantic relations at a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting Friday, assuring allies that the United States remains firmly committed to the alliance — a message complicated by President Donald Trump’s eleventh-hour announcement that he would send 5,000 more troops to Poland, a move that took European diplomats by surprise.
The pledge, made public as Rubio’s plane crossed the Atlantic, reversed a recent Pentagon decision to block an expected deployment to Poland and deepened a sense of unpredictability that has defined the Trump administration’s approach to military commitments in Europe. It was the latest in a series of abrupt shifts that have left allies uncertain about Washington’s long-term plans.
“We are consulting with our allies every step of the way,” Rubio said after the meeting, standing alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Rutte echoed the sentiment, telling reporters that the U.S. “remains a staunch ally” and that the alliance is adapting its posture in a coordinated manner.
But European diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, described the Poland troop reversal as a unilateral decision that blindsided capitals. The Pentagon had told Poland weeks earlier not to expect additional forces, part of a broader effort to trim the U.S. footprint in Europe. The about-face, one diplomat said, reinforced concerns that “the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing” in Trump administration defense policy.
The troop pledge also landed as Rubio was in the midst of a diplomatic mission to repair frayed ties. Just a day earlier, MSI reported that Rubio would use the meeting to reassure allies after Trump’s surprise troop pullback announcements. The dissonance between the secretary’s message of consultation and the president’s impulsive announcements has become a recurring challenge.
Rubio acknowledged the long-term direction: “Our military posture in Europe is going to look different,” he said, adding that the adjustment would result in fewer U.S. troops on the continent over time. But he stressed that the process would be deliberative and that no NATO ally would be left vulnerable.
The meeting in Sweden was already freighted with tension over the administration’s broader handling of the Iran conflict and its demands for greater European defense spending. The troop flip-flop added a fresh layer of confusion, leaving diplomats to parse whether the U.S. is strengthening its eastern flank or accelerating a long-term drawdown.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.