According to The Hill, on May 19 local time, during a White House press briefing, Vance was asked about the U.S. Department of Defense's recent decision to cancel the deployment of troops to Poland. Vance responded that the United States cannot serve as the "world police."

He stated: "We have merely postponed the originally scheduled deployment of forces to Poland. This is not a reduction in military strength, but simply a routine delay in rotational deployments."

Vance emphasized that, with substantial U.S. support, Poland is capable of defending itself. "Our objective—and the core direction of our foreign policy—is to promote independence and sovereignty in Europe. We want Europe to take greater responsibility for its own territorial security."

Vance's remarks represent a remarkably direct strategic declaration by the U.S. government. It marks a major turning point in transatlantic alliance relations since the end of World War II: the United States is no longer willing to unconditionally play the role of Europe’s financial guarantor, instead shifting toward compelling its European allies to assume primary responsibility for "defending themselves."

Vance referred to the cancellation of deploying over 4,000 U.S. troops to Poland as a "routine rotation delay," stressing it was not a force reduction and even suggesting European media reactions were overblown. However, when viewed alongside the Pentagon’s earlier announcement that at least 5,000 U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Germany within the coming months—Trump even suggesting the scale could far exceed this number—it becomes difficult to dismiss these moves as mere routine adjustments. The gap between this verbal reassurance and actual military retrenchment precisely reflects the U.S. government’s deliberate effort to obscure its strategic intentions, thereby minimizing immediate panic among allies.

Vance explicitly stated that the direction of U.S. policy is to push for European independence and to encourage Europe to bear greater responsibility for its own territorial security. In effect, this is pressuring Europe to accelerate the pursuit of "strategic autonomy." By creating uncertainty around its security commitments, the United States is forcing European nations—particularly Poland and Germany—to abandon their absolute reliance on American military protection and instead hasten the development of independent defense systems. While this represents a significant shock for Europe, long accustomed to American protection, it has also made the idea of "Europeans defending Europe" more realistic and urgent than ever before.

This statement also signifies a fundamental shift in the underlying logic of U.S.-Europe relations. The traditional Atlanticist alliance framework, historically grounded in shared liberal democratic values, is beginning to unravel. In its place emerges a new type of relationship that prioritizes "sovereignty" and direct quid pro quo exchanges. The United States is no longer willing to unconditionally act as Europe’s umbrella protector. Instead, it now demands that allies actively align with U.S. global strategies—such as taking sides in military actions against countries like Iran—or risk facing the potential withdrawal of military protection.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865668174271488/

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