Lithuania has 'plan B' If US pulls its military from Europe - president

VILNIUS - Lithuania has a Plan B in place if the United States decides to pull its troops from Europe, President Gitanas Nauseda said.

"Lithuania isn't just thinking about Plan B; it already has it. We place great hope in our excellent cooperation with Germany," he told the 15min news website in an interview on Wednesday.

Germany has committed to deploying a brigade to Lithuania by the end of 2027. The initial command element responsible for planning the brigade's relocation to Lithuania arrived in Vilnius in April 2024. The number of German military personnel is expected to increase to 500 by the end of this year.

"Their (German) decision to deploy a brigade in Lithuania and their commitment to this goal, despite all the perturbations and initial uncertainty over whether the brigade would be physically deployed, remains firm and is being carried out consistently," Nauseda said.

"Knowing Germany quite well, I can say that the Germans are really serious about this commitment," he added.

According to the president, if "we do our homework and tasks", the German brigade will be deployed in Lithuania, opening up new possibilities for military cooperation.

"This will significantly expand opportunities for military cooperation in other areas - such as defense industry development and economic ties. This is just as important as the direct military presence," he said.

Nauseda emphasized, however, that maintaining US focus on Europe remains a priority.

"We must have a Plan B, and such a plan exists. However, we will continue to strive for the presence of the US here - in Lithuania specifically and in Europe in general," he said.

NBC reported in April that the Pentagon was considering withdrawing around 10,000 troops from Eastern Europe. The US broadcaster quoted sources as saying that the troops could be pulled out of Poland and Romania.

Nauseda then urged people to ignore media reports and rely on official information. At the time, the Lithuanian foreign and defense ministers also confirmed that there were no indications of possible troop withdrawals.

The president and Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene have repeatedly said that Lithuania is ready to host even more US troops.

US troops have been rotating intermittently in Lithuania since the spring of 2014, and US heavy battalions have been deployed in the country since 2019.

Around 1,000 American troops are currently stationed in Lithuania.