Responding to Lithuania’s multiple requests for stronger US military presence in the Baltics, the US said on July 16 it will deploy hundreds of American troops to Lithuania for training over the next few years.

Vilnius has been consistently seeking a greater US military presence in Lithuania. A US battalion with Abrams tanks was stationed in the country between October 2019 and June 2020.

"We intend to continue these deployments to Lithuania where both of our forces can mutually benefit from shared operations…This level of cooperation, training, security and, ultimately, stability has been made possible by the commitment of Lithuania in the investment of more than 2% of GDP on defense spending and modernisation of its armed forces," Ryan D. McCarthy, the US secretary of the army, said in Vilnius after meeting with Lithuanian Defence Minister Raimundas Karoblis. 

A battalion-sized unit will come to Lithuania from Poland in a few months, and a company of troops is to be sent directly from the US to Lithuania for training in 2022, according to the official. 

Lithuania is one of only nine Nato member states that spend at least 2% of GDP on defence. US President Donald Trump has pressured European allies to meet the target.

Vilnius is also closely watching US plans to move some American troops from Germany to Poland.

McCarthy said Washington will provide more details about these plans in the coming weeks.