Lithuania to begin preparations for a potential permanent US military base

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius announced on Tuesday that he has instructed the Defence Ministry to begin preparatory work so that the United States can be presented with information about the country, the possibilities, and the conditions under which Lithuania could host permanently stationed American troops. In a video statement, the prime minister said he hopes such discussions with Washington will continue.

Sinkevičius noted that the idea of a permanent US troop presence in Lithuania is not new, and that the country is ready to offer the best possible conditions. He said the topic was also discussed during a meeting with John Coale, US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Belarus affairs, who visited Lithuania in mid-September.

Trump's response

Trump himself said on Monday that Washington would consider setting up a permanent military base in Lithuania, responding to a question from an LRT correspondent in Washington. He described Lithuanians as his friends and "great people," adding that the option would definitely be considered.

Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė's counterpart, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas, thanked Trump on Tuesday for his attitude toward Lithuania and promised to work toward making a permanent US base in Lithuania a reality.

Current situation

At present, US troops are stationed in Lithuania on a rotational basis. Over the summer, more than 1,000 US soldiers completed their rotation and left the country, although some remained. Because the US is reviewing its overall military presence in Europe, the arrival of the next rotational contingent has been delayed. However, in the second half of September Kaunas announced that, as part of the planned rotation, two battalions of US troops equipped with Abrams tanks would arrive in Lithuania by the end of October.