The United States has begun withdrawing more than 1,000 American troops and military equipment from Lithuania following the conclusion of a rotational deployment period, according to reports from Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT.
The departing forces are expected to be replaced by a new contingent; however, the timing and scale of the redeployment have not yet been confirmed, as Washington is currently conducting a broader review of its military presence in Europe.
Several sources within Lithuania’s defense sector confirmed the withdrawal, while part of the information was also confirmed by the president’s national security advisor, Deividas Matulionis.
According to LRT, U.S. troop rotations in Lithuania have been almost continuous in recent years. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the American presence expanded into a near-permanent deployment of approximately 1,000 or more personnel along with military equipment.
The report notes that since 2019, the United States has regularly deployed battalion-sized contingents to Lithuania, with the presence significantly increased after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
The development comes amid growing reports of a potential reduction in the U.S. military footprint in Europe.
Earlier, the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported that the United States plans to reduce part of its military presence in Europe sooner than NATO had anticipated, without providing allies with a lengthy transition period.
Bloomberg also reported in May that European allies are considering possible scenarios involving reductions of U.S. forces in Italy and Spain.
