US withdrawing over a thousand troops from Lithuania

More than 1,000 U.S. service members and their equipment have begun withdrawing from Lithuania following the completion of a rotational deployment. This was reported by LRT with reference to government officials and defense sector sources, according to UNN.

Details

They are expected to be replaced by a new group of soldiers, although the timing and size of the next deployment have not yet been confirmed as the United States reviews its military presence in Europe.

Several defense sources within the Lithuanian government confirmed the withdrawal on condition of anonymity. Deividas Matulionis, the President's chief national security advisor, also confirmed part of this information.

The rotation of U.S. troops in Lithuania has been nearly continuous in recent years. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, this presence was expanded to a persistent rotational deployment of approximately 1,000 or more troops along with combat vehicles.

Officials stated that the current transition period could lead to a longer-than-usual pause without U.S. forces on the ground, although a replacement rotation is still expected.

Matulionis noted that Lithuania has received assurances from Washington that U.S. troops will remain in the country despite the ongoing review of U.S. forces in Europe.

"We received a very clear assurance from the Americans that the troops were and will remain, but I cannot give exact figures today. The rotation of U.S. troops is related to logistics, so it is natural that certain time gaps may occur,"

The U.S. has regularly deployed battalion rotations to Lithuania since 2019, and this presence was expanded after the start of the war in Ukraine.

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