Baltrėnas says Poland makes more sense for a permanent US base

NATO official Remigijus Baltrėnas says Poland has stronger political, strategic and military advantages as a location for a permanent US base, while the current troop deployment model in Lithuania is working. LRT reported his comments from an interview with BNS.

US President said the United States would consider establishing a permanent military base in Lithuania. Baltrėnas said Lithuania already provides good conditions for rotating US forces, and a permanent deployment would require additional investment.

He said a base in Poland could allow the United States to send rotating forces to the Baltic states more often, depending on plans and cooperation. Lithuanian officials are preparing plans for a possible permanent US deployment if Washington makes the political decision, he added.

Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has tasked the Defence Ministry with presenting the United States with Lithuania’s capabilities and the conditions for permanently stationing US troops in the country.

On a possible review of US forces in Europe, Baltrėnas said Washington had told European capitals that they must take greater responsibility for their own security, but would not leave them without security guarantees. He said the shift towards a stronger European role in conventional defence would be gradual, while US nuclear deterrence and capabilities were “absolutely unquestionable”.

Asked about next year’s defence budget, Baltrėnas said Lithuania’s proposed allocation of 4.8 billion euros was practically unchanged in nominal terms. He said the amount spent and how effectively it was used mattered more than whether defence spending remained above 5% of gross domestic product.