About 50 American soldiers stationed in Poland will be moved to Pabradė (Podbrodzie) in Lithuania, Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius announced on Thursday, November 5.
The prime minister made the announcement to journalists in Vilnius. He stressed that the 50 soldiers from Poland will be transferred to Pabradė in addition to the contingent due to arrive in Lithuania in November as part of the rotational US troop presence.
„Dobra wiadomość”
Sinkevičius described it as a positive signal: in his view, it means the United States values its partnership with Lithuania. He did not give a date for the transfer or name the unit the soldiers come from.
Rotation and the size of US forces in Lithuania
American troops have been stationed in Lithuania on a rotational basis since 2014, with contingents changing every nine months. Their numbers have depended on decisions made in Washington. In the summer, during a review of the US military presence in Europe, just over 100 American soldiers were in the country. In October, the first US Army soldiers arrived as part of the rotation – more than 300 personnel.
Pabradė lies near the border with Belarus and is home to the Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area, where allied troops train.
Permanent US troop presence
Asked about Lithuania’s plans for a permanent stationing of US troops, the prime minister said Vilnius is doing everything it can on this issue, but such decisions do not come quickly. They also depend on Washington’s strategic goals. He assured that Lithuania is pursuing political and diplomatic efforts to secure a permanent US soldier presence.
As of publication, neither the American nor the Polish side had issued an official statement on the matter.
