Lithuania has offered to pay the costs for a permanent US military base on its soil if the United States agrees to build one.
Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius disclosed this on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump said on Monday that 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,” Trump said.
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Lithuania, an EU and NATO member that shares borders with Russia and Belarus, has hosted about 1,000 US troops on a rotational basis since 2019.
Sinkevicius said he made the proposal for a permanent presence to Trump’s envoy, John Coale, during a meeting in Vilnius last month.
He said the plan is now receiving serious attention and would be a critical security and deterrence guarantee.
“Our partners only need to make the political decision to permanently station troops, and Lithuania is ready to cover the costs involved”.
Reuters
