First returning US rotation troops land in Lithuania

The first US troops from a returning rotation have landed in Lithuania, President Gitanas Nausėda said Tuesday evening, LRT reported. He thanked US President Donald Trump, writing on X: “Together, we are stronger.”

US troops have rotated in Lithuania every nine months, with interruptions, since 2014. Their numbers have varied. During a US review of its military presence in Europe this summer, slightly more than 100 US troops remained in Lithuania. In September, officials said two US battalions would arrive by the end of October, bringing the total to a level similar to recent years, when it exceeded 1,000.

Trump said last week that the US would consider establishing a permanent military base in Lithuania. Nausėda welcomed the idea, saying it would show Washington’s trust in Lithuania. Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said he would work to make the base a reality.

Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has said Lithuania is ready to host US troops permanently and cover the costs of a base if the US decides to establish one.