Lithuania says it would pay the cost if US establishes military base
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Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said he proposed turning the US military base into a permanent presence.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Lithuania is willing to pay the costs to establish a permanent US military base on its soil to enhance security and deterrence against Russia.
- US President Donald Trump has expressed openness to considering Lithuania's request for a permanent base.
- Since 2019, the US has rotated nearly 1,000 troops in Lithuania, and the country seeks to convert this into a permanent military presence.
AI generated
VILNIUS, Lithuania – Lithuania is ready to pay the cost to set up a permanent US military base if Washington should agree to establish one there, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said on Oct 6.
On Oct 5, US President Donald Trump said he would consider Lithuania's request for a permanent base: “They are friends of mine, they are great people, so we will certainly look at it.”
Lithuania, a member of the EU and NATO, borders Russia and Moscow's close ally Belarus. The United States has kept an armoured battalion of almost 1,000 troops there since 2019, in overlapping rotations, meaning the troops arrive and leave every few months.
Sinkevicius said he proposed turning this into a permanent presence at a meeting with Trump’s envoy John Coale in September in Vilnius.
“I’m glad that this idea is being taken seriously... This is a critically important guarantee of deterrence and security,” Sinkevicius wrote on Facebook.
“Our partners only need to make the political decision to permanently station troops, and Lithuania is ready to cover the costs involved.” REUTERS