Lithuania to receive US decision on troop rotation in weeks

The Lithuanian presidential office expects a final decision from the US on the future rotation of American troops in Lithuania within the next few weeks, according to a report by LRT.

Presidential foreign policy advisor Asta Skaisgirytė told Žinių radio that informal signals from Washington are “very positive,” but a formal decision is still pending. She noted that the Pentagon began addressing the issue last week.

“Informally, we are receiving very positive signals from Washington, but we still need to wait a little for the formal decision. It should be resolved within a few weeks,” Skaisgirytė said.

More than 1,000 US soldiers completed their rotation in Lithuania this summer after Washington reviewed its military deployment in Europe. Lithuania has stated it is prepared to host up to 1,500 US troops.

Since 2019, the US has regularly deployed battalion-sized units to Lithuania. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Washington shifted to a continuous rotational deployment in the country. These reinforced battalions typically consist of 1,000 or more troops with various combat equipment.

President Gitanas Nausėda said last week that the decision on US troop rotation in Lithuania “could be even better than before.” Conservative leader Laurynas Kasčiūnas had earlier confirmed to Žinių radio that the US would maintain a similar number of troops in Lithuania.

Skaisgirytė added that such political statements would not cause harm but advised against misleading the public before an official decision is made.