It is too early to draw conclusions about the movement of American troops in Europe, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said Monday, as uncertainty grows over the future of the US military presence on the continent.
"At the moment, we are seeing a larger picture of redeployment, and perhaps that picture, the new mosaic, has not yet been fully assembled," Nausėda told reporters.
The president said he believed US leadership had a clear understanding of the Baltic region's security needs and expressed hope that American forces would ultimately remain in Lithuania, where around 1,000 US troops are currently stationed.
His comments follow the Pentagon's decision to halt the deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland, which has been linked by international media to broader plans to redeploy some US personnel from Germany to other parts of Europe.
Analysts suggest the moves could signal a redistribution of forces across the continent, though the overall number of American troops in the region may fall.
Nausėda said it was impossible to predict when final decisions on US troop placement in Lithuania would be made, as this depended on Washington's own determinations. Lithuania, he added, could offer a "reliable partnership" and would continue to meet its obligations.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
