US starts troop and hardware withdrawal from Lithuania
Photo: Lithuania confirms troop withdrawal (Getty Images)
The United States has begun withdrawing more than a thousand American troops and military equipment from Lithuania after the end of a rotational deployment period, according to LRT.
The withdrawn forces are expected to be replaced by a new group of soldiers. However, the timing and size of the next deployment have not yet been confirmed, as the United States is reviewing its military posture in Europe.
Several sources within Lithuania's defense sector confirmed the withdrawal. President's chief national security adviser Deividas Matulionis also confirmed part of the information.
LRT notes that in recent years, US troop rotations in Lithuania have been nearly continuous. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the presence expanded into a near-permanent rotational deployment of around 1,000 or more service members, along with combat equipment.
According to officials, the current transition period could lead to a longer-than-usual gap in US troop presence on the ground, although a follow-on rotation is still expected.
The president's adviser said Lithuania has received assurances from the United States that American troops will remain in the country, despite an ongoing review of US force posture in Europe.
"We have received a very clear assurance from the Americans that the troops were and will remain, but I cannot specify the exact numbers today. The rotation of American troops involves logistics, so it is natural that certain time gaps may occur," said Deividas Matulionis.
The report notes that since 2019, the US has regularly deployed battalion-sized contingents to Lithuania, and after the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, their presence was expanded.The
The US's military pullback in Europe
Earlier, Welt am Sonntag reported that the United States is planning to scale down part of its military presence in Europe faster than NATO had anticipated, with allies not being given a significant transition period.
In May, Bloomberg also reported that European allies are considering possible scenarios in which US forces could be reduced in Italy and Spain.
