US to maintain military presence in Lithuania, defence minister confirms

Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Dovilė Šakalienė held a telephone conversation with US Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth to discuss defence cooperation and regional security. 

The Lithuanian Defenсe Ministry’s press service shared the details of the discussion, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

"During the conversation, the two countries discussed defence cooperation and regional security issues," the statement read.

Šakalienė emphasized that Lithuania is committed to not only maintaining but, if possible, increasing the presence of US troops in the country.

“The US is not going to abandon us to our fate. Peter Hegseth responded very positively to the prospects and favourable conditions for cooperation in the defence industry. We agreed to continue working at the tactical level and to carry on negotiations in future meetings,” Shakalene said, as quoted by the Defence Ministry’s press service.

At the conclusion of the talks, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening regional and international security through continued close cooperation. The Lithuanian Defence Ministry stressed that the US military presence in Lithuania remains a critical deterrent and a key security guarantee for the Baltic region.

Between 2014 and 2017, US rotational companies were stationed in Lithuania. Since 2019, US Army heavy battalions have been deployed in the country on a rotational basis. Last year, the US announced that its battalion would remain in Lithuania indefinitely, rather than only until the end of 2025 as previously planned.

By Tamilla Hasanova