US troops arrive in Lithuania as promised, minister says

US troops are arriving in Lithuania as promised, and the full rotation is expected by mid-November, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said on Tuesday, according to LRT. Lithuania and the United States will also hold technical talks on the possibility of permanently stationing US forces in the country.

“The rotation of US troops has not stopped; there was simply a technical pause, and it has now resumed,” Kaunas told M1’s news service. He said several hundred troops were arriving that day, following the earlier arrival of up to 100, and that military equipment was also being delivered according to schedule. An official welcoming ceremony is planned once the full force is in place.

Different numbers of US troops have rotated through Lithuania every nine months since 2014, BNS reported. During a US review of its presence in Europe this summer, slightly more than 100 US troops remained in Lithuania. In September, it was announced that two US battalions would arrive by the end of October, bringing the number to more than 1,000, similar to recent years.

US President Donald Trump said in early October that the United States would consider the idea of establishing a permanent military base in Lithuania. Kaunas said he expected more answers by the end of the year about how many US troops and other capabilities would remain in Europe.

Kaunas said Lithuania was working through possible arrangements for a permanent US presence, including the possibility of keeping several battalions in the country without rotations. He said Lithuania had suitable infrastructure and training conditions, was investing in them and already covered part of the cost of the troops’ presence. Any decision, he added, would not change the current rotation or the presence of NATO allies in Lithuania.

Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has said Lithuania is ready to host US troops permanently and cover the costs of a base if the United States decides to establish one. He has tasked the Defence Ministry with preparing proposals on the options and conditions for such a deployment.