More than a thousand US troops are leaving Lithuania following the completion of their rotation
More than 1,000 US troops, along with their equipment, have begun leaving Lithuania following the completion of their rotational deployment, according to LRT.
A new unit is expected to arrive to replace them. However, the timing and size of the next rotation have not yet been confirmed, as the United States is reviewing its military presence in Europe.
Information regarding the withdrawal of troops has been confirmed by several sources within the Lithuanian defence sector on condition of anonymity. Some of the details have also been confirmed by the President’s Chief National Security Adviser, Davidas Matulionis.
In recent years, rotations of US troops in Lithuania have taken place almost continuously. Following the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the US presence was expanded to a permanent rotational deployment of around 1,000 or more troops, along with military equipment.
According to officials, the current transition may result in a longer-than-usual gap in the presence of US troops on the country’s territory, although a new rotation is still expected.
Davidas Matulionis stated that Lithuania had received assurances from Washington regarding the continued presence of US troops despite the US review of its military deployment in Europe.
“We have received very clear assurances from the Americans that the troops have been and will remain here, but I cannot specify the exact numbers today,” said Matulionis.
He also noted that the rotation of US troops is linked to logistical processes, so certain time gaps between troop changes are natural.
The US has been regularly deploying battalion-sized rotational units to Lithuania since 2019. Their presence was expanded following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
