Lithuania’s military chief confident US troops will return

Lithuania’s military chief Raimundas Vaikšnoras is confident that US troops will return to the country, LRT reported, citing an interview with BNS. “My information tells me that everything is positive. There will be US troops in Lithuania, as promised,” the general said.

Vaikšnoras said he could not provide specific troop numbers or dates. The United States is currently reviewing its military presence in Europe, according to BNS.

More than 1,000 US troops ended their rotation in Lithuania this summer, although some remained in the country.

“New rotations have already arrived and are here,” Vaikšnoras said, referring to advance groups responsible for receiving incoming forces. He said they were overseeing the barracks built by Lithuania, as well as the equipment and vehicles left in the country, and were preparing for the arrival of a new rotation.

The United States has regularly deployed battalions of troops to Lithuania since 2019. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, Washington changed the status of its forces in Lithuania to continuous rotational deployment. The reinforced battalions usually consist of 1,000 or more troops and include various types of combat equipment.

Lithuania has said it is prepared to host up to 1,500 US troops.