Lithuania’s defence minister said on Thursday that a reported US halt in deploying more than 4,000 troops to Europe is seen as a temporary pause.
“The rotation was paused to evaluate how the US will distribute its capabilities in Europe. This is the information we have so far, and we are awaiting clarification; once we have more news, we will be able to provide further information,” Robertas Kaunas told LRT RADIO on Thursday.
According to Kaunas, the Baltic states and Poland are considered exemplary allies meeting NATO and US standards, and this position remains unchanged.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the troops were scheduled for deployment to Poland as part of a planned rotation. It said some equipment and personnel were already en route to Europe.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon also announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany.
More than 1,000 US troops are currently stationed in Lithuania.
They have been rotated intermittently since 2014, with armoured battalions deployed in the country from 2019. They were reinforced by artillery units in 2022.
‘We also have the German brigade’
Speaking with reporters later on Thursday, Kaunas said the US decision did not create security problems for Lithuania.
“We have more than just the United States, which is undoubtedly important, undoubtedly necessary, and no one questions that. We also have the German brigade being deployed in Lithuania, and we are working on this issue,” Kaunas said.
According to the minister, allies from other NATO countries and a multinational NATO brigade are also stationed in Lithuania, meaning there is no additional security risk.
“American capabilities in Europe are currently being planned and rearranged, and I will refrain from further comment until we receive clarified information. Rotation is a standard procedure, so we will see how that rotation changes with the shifts we are now seeing in Germany,” Kaunas said.
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