A senior aide to the Lithuanian president has said he hopes Washington will take note of Lithuania's willingness to back US operations in the Middle East, as America reviews its military presence in Europe.
Deividas Matulionis, chief national security adviser to the president, was responding to a Wall Street Journal report suggesting the US is considering relocating troops from NATO allies deemed unhelpful in the Middle East to more supportive nations – among them Poland, Romania, Lithuania and Greece.
"That is the essential message. When the Americans need help and support, if we respond positively and show we are considering it, that is the key message they are waiting for," Matulionis told Žinių Radijas on Thursday.
"We cannot say, 'you deploy troops here, but when you have a problem, we say no.' This is a two-way street," he added.
Lithuanian officials have previously described the US decision to strike Iran as understandable, and have said they would consider any requests for assistance if approached.
Matulionis confirmed that Lithuania has signalled to Washington that it "views this with solidarity and is ready, within its capabilities, to consider providing help if America needs it."
He added, however, that he had not yet received any specific confirmation from Washington regarding plans to deploy additional forces to Lithuania.
"If the Americans were to take the initiative and increase US forces in Lithuania, it would be one of the most significant recent achievements," he said.
More than 1,000 US troops are currently deployed in Lithuania on a rotational basis.
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