Lithuania says Trump deploys fresh US troops to the country

US Confirms Deployment of Fresh Troops to Lithuania, Strengthening Regional Security

US Troop Deployment and Regional Security Implications

By Andrius Sytas

Confirmation of New US Troop Rotation

VILNIUS, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The United States has confirmed that it is sending a new rotation of troops to Lithuania, the Baltic NATO country said on Tuesday, ending a period of uncertainty over whether the US military would replace forces that returned home this summer.

Background: US Military Presence in Lithuania

The US is withdrawing thousands of troops from bases in Europe, and Lithuania, which shares borders with Russia and Belarus, said in June it had learned that the US was reviewing its future military presence in the country.

Official Statements from Lithuanian Leadership

"I have just received confirmation that the new rotation of US troops is already on its way to Lithuania," President Gitanas Nauseda wrote in a post on social media X.

Nauseda thanked President Donald Trump and the US administration, adding that this was important for Lithuania and for the security of the region.

"The US military presence in Lithuania is an indispensable part of our deterrence and collective defence," Nauseda said.

Details of the Deployment

He did not say how many service members the next rotation would contain. Since 2019, the US has usually deployed an armoured battalion of about 1,000 troops in the country.

Lithuania's Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said the US deployment was "returning to large numbers", but did not provide details.

"Lithuania is indeed a strong and reliable partner, and today we received proof of that," Budrys said in a statement.

Regional and International Reactions

US Embassy and Estonian Response

The US embassy in Vilnius did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of regular business hours.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said later on Tuesday that the US would also maintain its military presence in his country.

Importance for NATO’s Eastern Flank

"This is a strong signal of Allied unity and important element of deterrence and defence on NATO’s eastern flank," Tsahkna wrote in a post on X, adding that the Baltic country was investing more than 5% of its GDP in defence this year.

(Reporting by Andrius Sytas, writing by Terje Solsvik, editing by Elviira Luoma, Alexandra Hudson and Gareth Jones)