Lithuania offers to cover the costs of a permanent U.S. military base on its territory

Lithuania is ready to cover the costs of establishing a permanent U.S. military base if Washington accepts the proposal. Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said so on Tuesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he would consider Lithuania's request. “They are my friends, they are exceptional people, so we will certainly look into it,” he said.

Nearly 1,000 troops since 2019

Lithuania, a member of the European Union and NATO, borders Russia and Belarus, Moscow's close ally.

Since 2019, the United States has maintained an armored battalion of nearly 1,000 troops in the country. The presence is maintained through overlapping rotations, with contingents arriving and departing every few months.

Sinkevicius said he had proposed turning this deployment into a permanent presence. The proposal was presented last month in Vilnius during a meeting with Trump's envoy, John Coale.

The decision rests with Washington

“I am pleased that this idea is being taken seriously. It is a critically important guarantee of deterrence and security,” Sinkevicius wrote on Facebook.

According to the prime minister, the United States would decide the future of the deployment. “Our partners only need to make the political decision to permanently station troops, and Lithuania is ready to cover the related costs.”