Official: US does not plan great reduction of troops across Baltic states

Lithuanian Minister for National Defence stated that the United States has no plans to drastically revise the number of American troops stationed in the Baltic states.

Citing a press release from Lithuania’s Ministry of Defence, Caliber.Az reports that this assurance was received during talks with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, which were also attended by the defence ministers of Latvia and Estonia.

Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė of Lithuania stated, that “the United States remains the cornerstone of transatlantic security, but emphasizes that achieving this goal requires the contribution of all allies. The US Secretary of Defence highly values Lithuania’s efforts and contributions to ensuring its own security, calling them exemplary. We especially appreciate the assurance that no hasty decisions will be made regarding the presence of US troops in our region. Our arguments about the importance of American forces for regional security have been heard.”

She also emphasised that the United States places great importance on conducting exercises in Lithuania — including ground, air, unmanned, and electronic warfare maneuvers.

In her view, this confirms the strategic significance of the new training ground currently under construction in the country.

By Nazrin Sadigova