Lithuania ready to host more NATO troops after major military upgrades

Lithuania has declared its full readiness to host additional NATO forces on its territory, following the completion of key military infrastructure upgrades, the country’s Ministry of Defence announced.

Speaking to local media, Chief of Defence of Lithuania General Raimundas Vaikšnoras, confirmed that the necessary preparations have been finalized, significantly boosting the nation’s capacity to support allied deployments, Caliber.Az reports per Lithuanian Defence Ministry.

“We have completed all the necessary infrastructure modernisation and can now accommodate even more allied troops,” General Vaikšnoras stated.

The announcement marks a strategic step forward in Lithuania’s defence posture, particularly amid heightened regional tensions driven by Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and growing security concerns in the Baltic region.

General Vaikšnoras emphasized the strategic value of the continued presence of US forces in Lithuania, calling them a crucial “deterrent factor” that reinforces NATO’s eastern flank.

Prior to Lithuania's announcement, Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken confirmed that Belgium would deploy 200 military personnel to the Lithuanian border by the end of July, as part of NATO’s broader strategy to reinforce its eastern flank in response to ongoing security challenges.

Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin stated that Danish authorities support the increased military presence of non-regional NATO members in Greenland, and do not exclude the possibility of a NATO base being established on the island. His remarks reflect growing concerns in Moscow over the alliance’s expanding footprint in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.

Ambassador Barbin had earlier criticized NATO's activities in the Baltic Sea region, describing the alliance’s posture as escalatory and counterproductive to regional stability.

By Vafa Guliyeva