Budrys says Rubio assured him US troop reduction will be brief

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said he had received assurances from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the reduction in American troops in Lithuania would not last long, LRT reported.

“We were assured that the period during which we have fewer US troops will not last long,” Budrys said in comments provided by the Foreign Ministry in response to LRT questions. “All decisions are being coordinated with the Department of Defense, the Pentagon, but we hope to hear about them in the near future.”

Budrys made the comments after meeting Rubio during a visit to Washington. He said security was the main topic of the meeting, but that the two officials also discussed the situation in the region, US efforts to achieve peace in the war against Ukraine, and Russia’s intentions and capabilities in the near future.

They also discussed hybrid and kinetic attacks, incidents in the region, the situation in Lithuania, the conditions provided for US troops and future decisions on their deployment, Budrys said.

The United States is currently reviewing its military presence in Europe, according to BNS. More than 1,000 US troops completed their rotation in Lithuania this summer. Although some remained in the country, Lithuania has not yet received a clear answer on the arrival of a new rotation.

The United States has regularly deployed battalions of troops in Lithuania since 2019. After Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, Washington changed the status of its forces in Lithuania to continuous rotational deployment. These reinforced battalions usually consisted of at least 1,000 troops and included various types of combat equipment.

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