The future presence of US troops in Lithuania is under review, according to the country's defense minister. The current rotation of US troops is leaving as expected, but the next scheduled group is not arriving.
The US is withdrawing thousands of troops from Germany and Poland, and the number of US troops in Europe is changing. This has led to a review of the regional stance, including the presence of US troops in Lithuania.
Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas discussed the situation with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and was reassured that the Baltic region is of critical importance to NATO and the US. However, the timing and size of the next rotation are still uncertain.
Lithuania has tripled its defense spending since 2022 and is due to spend 5.4% of its GDP on defense this year.
