Uncertainty over Deployment of US Troops to Lithuania

The future of the US troop presence in Lithuania remains open. Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said that the next rotation of US troops is being reviewed in the context of changes in the deployment of US forces in Europe.

The current deployment of US troops are leaving as planned, but a new rotation has not yet arrived. After talks with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Kaunas said Vilnius had received assurances of a continued US presence, but it is unclear when the new troops will arrive and in what numbers.

If the deployment is delayed, Lithuania would be without a US armored battalion of about 1,000 troops for the first time since 2020.

The Lithuanian minister also stressed that the US continues to consider the Baltic region strategically important for NATO. Lithuania, which borders Russia, has tripled its defense spending since 2022 and plans to allocate 5.4% of GDP to defense this year.

(reuters, bak)