The troops were sent by President Joe Biden in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Three European diplomats cited by the newspaper on Sunday said they believe Trump would remove these forces as part of his broader efforts to forge closer ties with Moscow.
A NATO diplomat told The Washington Post: "I wouldn't be surprised if at some point those troops return to their bases in the U.S."
He described such a move as a "return to normal."
According to Poland’s defense ministry, around 10,000 US troops are currently stationed in the country, with roughly half of them deployed following Biden’s 2022 decision.
After recent meetings with Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Polish President Andrzej Duda and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski expressed confidence that the US military presence in Poland would be maintained, even if American troop levels in Europe are reduced.
The report underlines growing uncertainty in European political and defense circles over Trump’s foreign policy intentions.
The Washington Post noted that Trump’s attempts to align the US more closely with Russia have heightened concerns that Washington could accept Moscow’s demands for NATO to scale back its presence in Eastern Europe.
Such a scenario, the paper said, could expose Russia’s neighbors to security risks before European nations are able to strengthen their defenses.
Trump has publicly stated that he does not plan to withdraw all US forces from Europe and that "nobody has asked him to do so."
However, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has signaled that a broader review of American troop deployments in Europe will take place, likely after the war in Ukraine ends.
Michał Szczerba, a Polish member of the European Parliament and a rapporteur on US affairs, shared a similar assessment following a recent visit to Washington with a delegation from the European People's Party.
Speaking to Poland’s PAP news agency, he said: "This administration and my conversations on Capitol Hill indicate that the US wants to limit or reduce its activity in Europe. For us, maintaining these 10,000 troops is a matter of vital importance."
Szczerba added that Poland has strong arguments in favor of keeping US forces in the country, including high defense spending and major purchases of American military equipment.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP