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Baltic states hopeful, but not reassured over US force posture in Europe
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on September 24, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
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Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on September 24, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Baltic nations lobby for continued US military presence in Europe amid rising tensions with Russia, seeking assurance from Washington.
By John Irish
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -The United States' Baltic allies continue to lobby and are hopeful that Washington will keep thousands of its troops in Europe, notably in countries closest to Russia, but they have yet to receive the assurances they seek, ministers said.
Since the return of U.S. President Donald Trump, European allies have been concerned about potential cuts to some 80,000 U.S. troops in Europe just when they see Russia as a greater threat than at any time since the end of the Cold War.
"There's no final decision, but there is a very, very clear sentiment that it doesn't happen overnight," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkn told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the Un General Assembly.
"I do hope that the U.S. troops will remain, at least in our region, because the tension is increasing and U.S. participation is one of the strongest deterrents."
Underscoring fears in the Baltics, the United States is phasing out some security assistance for European countries near the border with Russia.
Speaking in a separate interview, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said Vilnius had also been laying down all the arguments to the Trump administration to maintain their presence in Europe.
"We see that the front line is the best place for them to be. We are providing the best host nation support, we are providing the training areas, and it delivers the best result," he said.
"It delivers deterrence to Russians. So, concerning the posture review, that's the place where United States troops have to be."
He said the signals he had received in last few months were positive and he had "no doubt" about Washington's commitment.
The U.S. military had more than 100,000 troops in Europe following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but that number has already been reduced to 80,000 and it periodically reviews its troop levels on the continent.
(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Alistair Bell)
The Baltic states are hopeful that the US will maintain its troop presence in Europe, particularly in countries near Russia, as they see this as a crucial deterrent against rising tensions.
European allies are concerned about potential cuts to the approximately 80,000 US troops stationed in Europe, especially given the perceived threat from Russia.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna expressed hope that US troops would remain in the region, emphasizing that their presence is a strong deterrent amid increasing tensions.
Following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the US military had over 100,000 troops in Europe, but this number has since been reduced to 80,000.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys stated that Lithuania has been advocating for the US to maintain its military presence, highlighting the importance of their location for effective deterrence against Russia.
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