Lithuania gathers information on conditions for permanent US troop deployment

Lithuania is gathering information on what would be needed to host US troops permanently, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said, LRT reported.

The ministry began work on the issue after Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius tasked it with assessing the conditions Lithuania could offer. Kaunas said the information would be shared with US partners before discussions.

A study and preliminary estimates were prepared in 2025, Kaunas said, covering infrastructure and the expansion needed to establish a model similar to the one Lithuania is developing with Germany.

The cost of such an arrangement is not yet known, he said, adding that the discussion was at a technical, initial stage and no figures or timelines should be relied on.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington would consider establishing a permanent military base in Lithuania. Sinkevičius has also discussed the possibility of permanently stationing US troops in the country with US special envoy to Belarus John Coale.

US troops currently serve in Lithuania on a rotating basis. More than 1,000 US troops and their equipment began leaving after a rotation ended in early June. The next group’s arrival was delayed, but the return of US troops has since been announced.