US has not guaranteed troop presence in Baltic states, Estonian Defense Minister says
Photo: Estonian Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Getty Images)
The Baltic states have not received guarantees from the United States regarding the continued presence of American troops along their borders, stated Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, Bloomberg reports.
Pevkur, along with his counterparts from Lithuania and Latvia, visited Washington last week. After the visit, he said he had not received any assurances from US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about maintaining troop numbers on NATO’s eastern flank.
However, according to Estonia’s defense chief, he was informed that any discussion of so-called "force posture" would take place with the involvement of NATO leadership and through joint efforts aimed at implementing relevant changes based on the United States’ strategic outlook.
"The commitment that was made was that a single decision wouldn’t be made with it coming as a surprise to Europe. It will be discussed," Pevkur said.
The United States has more than 2,000 troops stationed in the Baltic states, a presence that was reinforced after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Estonian Defense Minister said that the government in Tallinn is awaiting a US review that will take into account new threats in Asia and the Middle East.
However, according to him, Hegseth did not offer any firm commitments regarding the continued US presence in the Baltics.
Pevkur noted that he and his counterparts from Latvia and Lithuania made it clear to their American colleagues that a strong military presence on NATO’s eastern border is crucial for deterring any potential aggressive actions by Moscow.
"Our message to the Pentagon was clear. You need to be where the threat is — and it’s wise for allies to keep together and keep NATO’s front door closed," Pevkur said.
The US plans to withdraw troops from NATO countries
Earlier, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker stated that the United States is preparing to begin talks with European partners on the possibility of gradually withdrawing American troops from Europe.
He clarified that Washington aims to start such negotiations after the NATO summit, which took place from June 24 to 26.
Later, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Germany has not yet seen any signs that the US intends to make a final decision to withdraw its forces from European countries.
