Vance says Europe 'overreacting' to Pentagon halting Poland troop rotation |
Vance says Europe ‘overreacting’ to Pentagon halting Poland troop rotation
Vice President Vance on Tuesday defended last week’s abrupt pause in a U.S. troop deployment to Poland, saying the brigade of 4,000 service members had been “delayed” to Europe and not withdrawn.
Speaking at a White House briefing, Vance called the pause “a very small and very minor thing,” blaming the European media for “overreacting,” while offering no reason as to why Washington chose to halt the planned rotation.
“We’ve not reduced the troop levels in Poland by 4,000 troops. What we did is that we delayed a troop deployment that was going to go to Poland. That’s not a reduction, that’s just a standard delay and rotation that sometimes happens in these situations,” Vance told reporters.
“I think frankly a lot of the European media is overreacting to this a bit,” he said, adding, “it is reasonable for Europe to take a little bit more ownership over its continental integrity.”
Polish Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, echoing Vancce, said “no decision has been made to reduce American military capabilities” in his country, noting that he had spoken with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the matter.
Hegseth........