If the United States were to revise the size and deployment of its military contingent in Europe, nuclear capabilities would be the last to be moved, says Deividas Matulionis, chief national security adviser to the Lithuanian president.
“If anything were to happen, nuclear deterrence would be the last thing to be moved. This is a well-established nuclear-sharing system that has been in place since 1966. In practice, six countries are involved, but nuclear weapons aren’t transferred to those countries or placed under their control,” he told LRT on Saturday.
Matulionis noted that NATO’s nuclear deterrence in Europe relies on US forces.
“NATO is carrying out the necessary activities and planning, and there’s the so-called Nuclear Planning Group, which involves all NATO countries except France. This is a truly important and significant element of deterrence, which essentially deters Russia from aggressive actions against NATO countries. So we really must value and contribute to strengthening this dimension,” he said.
France is the only nuclear power in the European Union.
French President Emmanuel Macron said in March that Paris was considering extending its nuclear deterrent to its European partners.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has said that the US nuclear umbrella in Europe will remain intact, as Washington would not want to risk the proliferation of these weapons.
Matulionis also insisted that the presence of US troops in Europe is a key deterrent, and Lithuania, together with its allies, must ensure that these forces remain on the continent.
“I must stress that all the information in the media about the US considering reducing its troop numbers in Europe is currently not true,” the advisor said.
“There are even thoughts in the American administration about focusing more on the eastern flank countries – Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland. I believe that our government, the Defence Ministry, and the president’s office will do everything to ensure the continued presence of US troops in Lithuania and Europe,” he added.
NBC reported in April that the Pentagon was considering withdrawing around 10,000 troops from Eastern Europe. The US broadcaster quoted sources as saying that the troops could be pulled out of Poland and Romania.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda urged people to ignore media reports and rely on official information. At the time, the Lithuanian foreign and defence ministers also confirmed there were no indications of possible troop withdrawals.
US troops have been rotating intermittently in Lithuania since the spring of 2014, and US heavy battalions have been deployed in the country since 2019.
Around 1,000 American troops are currently stationed in Lithuania.
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