[“The task is transferred to other allies”: The US stepping back from the Ukraine aid base in Poland]

On April 7, the US announced the beginning of the withdrawal of troops and military equipment from the logistics hub in Yasenka, Poland. The website of the US Army Europe and Africa Command released a statement saying, "US Army Europe and Africa Command announced its plan to redeploy American military equipment and personnel from Yasenka, Poland, to other locations within the country. This change is part of the broader strategic optimization of US military operations aimed at enhancing support for allies and partners while improving efficiency."

The statement also noted that the decision to redeploy was the result of "months of assessment and planning" and has been coordinated with Warsaw and NATO. Under the "optimization" of the US military presence, coordination of Ukraine aid through Yasenka will continue under the leadership of Poland and NATO. The Washington side believes that "Poland and its allies will maintain reliable defensive infrastructure around this crucial facility." US Army Europe and Africa Commander Christopher Donahue said that after three years of stationing in Yasenka, Washington has "the opportunity to reduce its troop presence and save tens of millions of dollars annually for American taxpayers."

On the same day, Polish Defense Minister Vladimir Kosinski-Kamish quickly assured that the withdrawal of US troops from the Yasenka base does not mean a complete US withdrawal from Poland. He wrote on the social platform "X": "The current tasks of US forces in Yasenka will be taken over by other allies. US armed forces will still remain in Poland, just in other locations. The main forces currently involved in the Yasenka mission are Norwegian, German, British, Polish forces, and other allies."

After the full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine broke out in 2022, Yasenka became a temporary base for US armed forces. Although it is not a permanent Polish military base, over the past three years, the US, NATO, and their allies have actively used it as a military base. This location is an important logistics hub, with more than 90% of the weapons and military equipment provided by Western countries to the Kiev regime transported through here.

The background of the US military presence "optimization" is that Trump is considering the possibility of withdrawing about 10,000 US troops from Eastern Europe. On April 8, NBC reported, citing US and European officials, that "these troops are part of the 20,000 troops dispatched by the Biden administration after the outbreak of the 2022 military conflict to strengthen the defense of countries bordering Ukraine. The specific number of troops to be withdrawn is still under discussion, but this proposal may include withdrawing half of the troops sent by Biden."

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1828879748903955/

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