NATO allies bewildered by Trump's about-face on US troop moves in Europe

HELSINGBORG, Sweden (AP) — NATO allies and defense officials expressed bewilderment on Friday at U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland just weeks after he had ordered 5,000 troops to be pulled out of Europe.

“It is confusing indeed, and not always easy to navigate,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told reporters at a meeting she was hosting of her NATO counterparts, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

U.S. defense officials were also confused. “We just spent the better part of two weeks reacting to the first announcement. We don’t know what this means either,” said one of two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said “I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland.” He said this was due to his strong ties with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom Trump endorsed in elections last year.

The apparent change of mind came after weeks of conflicting statements from Trump and his administration about reducing — not increasing — the American military footprint in Europe.

NATO allies have been blindsided, despite a U.S. pledge to coordinate troop deployments. “We’re going to stay well-synchronized with our allies moving forward,” NATO’s top military officer, U.S. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, promised on Wednesday.

Ministers from the Netherlands and Norway were sanguine about Trump's latest move but underlined that these matters should happen in a “structured" way. Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže said allies knew the U.S. troop "posture was being reconsidered, and now there is no change of posture. For now. So we will see.”

Earlier this month, the Trump administration said it was reducing levels in Europe by about 5,000 troops, and U.S. officials confirmed about 4,000 service members were no longer deploying to Poland. The dispatch to Germany of U.S. personnel trained to fire long-range missiles was also halted.

Grynkewich said that “several hundred” more troops would be shifted elsewhere, without elaborating. The commander of the world's biggest military alliance said he had huddled with defense chiefs from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland at NATO headquarters to discuss options.

It all started as Trump fumed over remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who had said that the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized what he called a lack of strategy in the war.

Trump then told reporters that the U.S. would be “cutting a lot further than 5,000.” He also announced new tariffs on European cars. Germany is the continent’s biggest auto producer.

About 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe. The Pentagon is required to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment stationed in Europe unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests.

The withdrawal of 5,000 troops might drop numbers below that limit.

Trump's latest post suggests that troop numbers in Europe might not be changed at all. The forces that were already rotating into Poland from Germany are likely to continue doing so. Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski welcomed the decision, and said it ensures that “the presence of American troops in Poland will be maintained more or less at previous levels.”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also welcomed the move. On Thursday, before Trump took to Truth Social again, Rutte had underlined that it was important for Europe to take care of its own security. “We have a process in place. This is normal business,” he told reporters.

Friday's NATO meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, was aimed at preparing for a summit of Trump and his counterparts in Turkey in July.

——

Cook reported from Brussels. Emma Burrows in London contributed.

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže speaks at the doorstep of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting at Sea U in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte deliver a statement during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks to media at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives with his wife Jeanette at Malmo Airport, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Malmo-Sturup, Sweden, ahead of a NATO foreign ministers meeting. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, second from left, shakes hands with Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson, as he is greeted by King Carl Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Silvia of Sweden and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Maria Malmer Stenergard, right, before a dinner at Sofiero Castle in Helsingborg, Sweden, Thursday May 21 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard speaks to media at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s public transport operators on Friday called off a nationwide strike that had been suspended for a week to allow talks over rising fuel prices.

The strike on Monday and Tuesday triggered protests in which four people were killed and more than 30 others injured after police fired live ammunition at demonstrators.

The operators met with President William Ruto on Friday and announced the strike would not resume after he pledged that diesel prices would be reduced in the upcoming monthly fuel price review in June.

Ruto rejected proposals to lower fuel taxes, arguing that reducing VAT on fuel from 16% to 8% had already caused significant revenue losses and that any further cuts would undermine delivery of government services.

Earlier in the week, thousands of protesters took to the streets, burning tires on major highways and blocking private vehicles from using the roads. Businesses and schools remained closed as initial negotiations between the government and transport operators failed.

The strike was temporarily suspended on Tuesday to allow further discussions between the government and fuel sector stakeholders.

Ruto, who had been out of the country during the strike, returned on Thursday and initiated talks that resulted in an agreement to lower fuel prices during the next monthly review.

Kenya’s fuel prices remain among the highest in East Africa, despite the country serving as a key import hub for several landlocked nations that rely on the Port of Mombasa and road transport networks.

The opposition has blamed the high prices on corruption and what it described as excessive profit margins by businesspeople.

A man demonstrates near a fire during a public transport strike over fuel prices in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)