50 US soldiers to be transferred from Poland to Lithuania — RMF24

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said that 50 US soldiers will be transferred from Poland to Pabradė, Lithuania. They will serve as additional reinforcement, separate from the US contingent whose arrival in Lithuania is planned for November as part of the rotational presence of American troops, RMF24 reports.

Additional forces in Pabradė

Sinkevičius called the decision a positive signal which, in his words, indicates that the United States values cooperation with Lithuania. US troops have been deployed in the country on a rotational basis since 2014, with contingents changing every nine months. The size of these forces has varied depending on Washington's needs and decisions.

In the summer, amid a review of the US military presence in Europe, just over 100 US soldiers remained in Lithuania. In October, the first more than 300 US Army servicemembers arrived in the country as part of the rotational presence.

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Plans for a permanent US presence

Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas stated that all announced US forces, numbering more than one thousand troops, are to arrive by mid-November. This corresponds to the approximate level of the US presence in the country in previous years.

Lithuania has also prepared a package of proposals for the permanent deployment of US troops, but has not yet submitted it to the United States: the document is being coordinated among the relevant institutions. At the beginning of October, US President Donald Trump said that Washington would consider the possibility of establishing a permanent military base in Lithuania. Authorities in Vilnius stated that they were ready to host troops on a permanent basis and cover the operating costs of a US military facility.