US President Donald Trump has paused the rotation of US soliders in Lithuania in a seemingly huge move against NATO allies. The US Army has cancelled the planned deployment of around 4,000 troops from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, to central and eastern Europe, while Lithuanian officials say the United States has also paused its troop rotation to the region.

The decision is expected to fuel growing concern among NATO allies over America’s long-term military commitment to Europe amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. An Army official confirmed the cancellation on Wednesday but did not provide a reason, referring all questions to the Pentagon, which has so far declined to comment publicly on the move.

The deployment would have seen more than 4,000 soldiers and military equipment sent to Poland as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a long-running NATO mission aimed at strengthening security along Europe’s eastern flank. Reports suggest some troops had already begun travelling to Poland while equipment was still in transit when the order was halted.

MORE UPDATES TO FOLLOW...