Lithuania’s defence minister said Wednesday he has received no negative signals regarding the future presence of US troops in the country.
“No bad messages so far,” Minister Robertas Kaunas told reporters at the Pabradė training ground.
The United States is currently reviewing its military presence in Europe, and Lithuania is seeking to maintain or expand the current number of forces stationed in the country. Washington had planned to announce its decision this year, but the process has taken longer than expected.
On Wednesday, Lithuania officially opened military infrastructure designated for US forces.
“We have information that there are no bad news. At this moment, that’s the case. This entire infrastructure, this entire investment, plus our review of the host nation package – we have practically tripled our investment in supporting American troops – sends a strong signal that we are not just beneficiaries of security but also contribute to it ourselves,” Kaunas said.
US troops have been rotating through Lithuania intermittently since the spring of 2014. Since 2019, the country has hosted heavy battalions, and in 2022, a US battalion stationed in Lithuania was reinforced with an artillery unit.
Kaunas emphasised that Lithuania aims to preserve or increase the current US troop presence as Washington evaluates its European deployments.
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