US to send more than 200 troops to Lithuania, Nausėda says

More than 200 US troops are due to arrive in Lithuania on Tuesday, President Gitanas Nausėda said, bringing the current contingent closer to the number planned for deployment by mid-November, LRT reported.

“We currently have about 120 US troops deployed on a rotational basis in Lithuania. As far as I know, more than 200 more will arrive today,” Nausėda told Žinių radijas. He said the arrivals would bring the total to nearly a third of the number planned by mid-November.

Nausėda said the US deployment in Lithuania could eventually reach about 1,000 troops, or slightly more.

The first US contingent, of up to 100 troops, arrived in mid-October. The troops are based in Pabradė, a regular location for US deployments, and will take part in joint exercises with the Lithuanian military and NATO allies.

Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said the rotation was filling out as planned after months of work. An official ceremony marking the start of the troops’ service in Lithuania is planned for November, he said.

More than 1,000 US troops and their equipment began leaving Lithuania in early June after the previous rotation ended. The arrival of a replacement contingent was delayed. The United States has regularly rotated forces through the Baltic states and Poland since Russia invaded Ukraine four years ago. US heavy battalions have rotated through Lithuania since 2019.