The Department of Defense said Tuesday (May 19, 2026) it was reducing the number of U.S. troop brigades in Europe from four to three, taking the deployment back to 2021 levels, as Washington pressures the continent to do more for its own defense.

The Pentagon “has reduced the total number of Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) assigned to Europe from four to three,” it said in a statement. A BCT comprises 4,000-4,700 personnel, according to a Congressional report. The statement said that the reduction was resulting in a “temporary delay” of the deployment of U.S. forces to Poland. That announcement was preceded earlier Tuesday (May 19, 2026) by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance saying that a planned deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland had been delayed rather than cancelled.

“The Department will determine the final disposition of these and other U.S. forces in Europe based on further analysis of U.S. strategic and operational requirements, as well as our allies’ own ability to contribute forces toward Europe’s defense,” the Pentagon statement said.

The reduction in brigade combat teams is the culmination of weeks of anticipation about U.S. force reduction in Europe, and Washington’s insistence that its allies on the continent invest more in their own defense.

U.S. President Donald Trump has appeared determined to punish allies who have failed to back the U.S.-led war against Iran or contribute to a peacekeeping force in the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

The Pentagon announced at the beginning of May that Washington would pull 5,000 troops from Germany.