Olekas urges Lithuania to take Trump’s US base remarks seriously

Lithuanian Parliament Speaker Juozas Olekas said US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the United States could consider establishing a permanent military base in Lithuania should be taken seriously, LRT reported.

Olekas told Žinių radijas on Wednesday that a stronger US military presence would significantly reinforce Lithuania’s deterrence. He said having US troops alongside German forces in Lithuania’s eastern border region would mean allies were already present if aggression occurred, rather than relying on them to arrive after a threat emerged.

Olekas also thanked Lithuanian Americans, saying some were close to Trump’s circle, including Jonas Prunskis, and helped promote Lithuania. He said their efforts, as well as the need for a US presence in Lithuania, should be taken seriously.

US troops are currently deployed in Lithuania on a rotational basis. Olekas said a permanent base with a battalion or two would ensure a stable presence and avoid gaps when troop numbers fall.

Different numbers of US troops have rotated through Lithuania, with breaks, since 2014. This summer, after the United States reviewed its presence in Europe, just over 100 US troops remained in Lithuania. In late September, officials announced that two battalions would arrive by the end of October, bringing the number to more than 1,000, similar to recent years. US troops rotate in Lithuania every nine months.