Trump floated the possibility of establishing a permanent U.S. military base in Lithuania
Kyiv • UNN
Trump said that the United States would consider a permanent base in Lithuania, and that the country's government was ready to cover the costs. The Kremlin threatened measures in response.
President Donald Trump said that the United States would consider the possibility of establishing a permanent military base in Lithuania, after which the Baltic state's government offered to cover the costs. Bloomberg reports, UNN writes.
Details
"We will certainly consider it," Trump told reporters in Washington on Monday, responding to a question about the possibility. "They are wonderful people. I know so many people in that country."
Several hours later, Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius wrote on social media that Lithuania would "cover the costs associated with it."
U.S. troops have been stationed in Lithuania on a rotational basis since 2014, with the contingent usually numbering around 1,000 service members. This summer, its size was reduced as Washington conducted a broader review of its military presence in Europe.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said last month that two battalions were heading to Lithuania, which would restore the U.S. military presence to the level of recent years.
"If the military infrastructure of a leading NATO country is approaching our borders, then, of course, this cannot be perceived as anything other than a step toward escalating tensions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, as quoted by Interfax. "Russia will be forced to take all necessary measures to reliably ensure its own security."
As the publication notes, a permanent military base in Lithuania would represent a significant change from the rotational-presence model that has defined the U.S. military presence in the Baltic states since NATO began strengthening its eastern flank following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Trump's statement about the possibility of establishing a permanent base came against the backdrop of his remarks about "significant progress" in plans for a new U.S. Army base in neighboring Poland.