Lithuanian PM tasks ministry with preparing for permanent US base

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has tasked the Ministry of National Defence with preparing proposals on the conditions for a permanent US troop presence in Lithuania, LRT reported.

“I have tasked the Ministry of National Defence with doing its homework, presenting the country and the opportunities and conditions under which we could host permanently stationed US troops,” Sinkevičius said in a video statement released by the government on Tuesday. He said he hoped discussions would continue.

His remarks followed US President Donald Trump’s statement on Monday that the United States would consider the idea of establishing a permanent military base in Lithuania. Sinkevičius said he had also discussed a permanent US troop presence with Trump’s special envoy, John Coale, during Coale’s visit to Lithuania in mid-September.

“The idea is not new. We would be interested in a permanent deployment of US troops in Lithuania and are ready to provide the best possible conditions for the US side,” Sinkevičius said. He added that he was pleased Trump had not ruled out the idea.

Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas thanked Trump on Tuesday for his stance towards Lithuania and said he would work to establish a permanent US military base in the country.

US troops have been rotated in and out of Lithuania in varying numbers since 2014. After the United States reviewed its presence in Europe, just over 100 US troops remained in Lithuania this summer. In late September, it was announced that two battalions would arrive in Lithuania at the end of October, bringing troop numbers to more than 1,000, similar to recent years. US troops in Lithuania rotate every nine months.