Poland and Lithuania have expressed their willingness to host the U.S. troops that are set to leave German territory, as recently announced by the U.S. government, following criticism from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Washington’s strategy in the Iran war.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has expressed his interest in keeping the troops in Europe, emphasizing the importance of the U.S. military presence on the continent. During the visit of his Polish counterpart, Karol Nawrocki, both leaders agreed on the need to maintain the soldiers in the region and highlighted the readiness of both countries to host allied forces.
Nauseda has urged NATO allies to ensure that U.S. President Donald Trump does not shift his focus away from Europe. Nawrocki, on his part, has expressed his intention to convince Trump to keep the troops in Europe, highlighting that Poland has the necessary infrastructure to accommodate them.
Currently, Lithuania hosts approximately 1,000 U.S. troops, while Poland has 10,000 soldiers in a rotational deployment. This deployment is one of the largest of the United States in Europe, although smaller than that of Germany itself, which hosts about 39,000 military personnel.
During his first term in 2020, Trump had already threatened to withdraw about 10,000 soldiers from bases on German soil, citing Berlin’s alleged failure to meet its NATO obligations. However, those plans never materialized, and now the situation has gained relevance again following Merz’s criticisms.
The Pentagon’s announcement of the withdrawal of these soldiers has generated concern in Europe. Trump has even warned that the number could be even higher.
Poland and Lithuania have expressed their willingness to host the U.S. troops that are set to leave German territory, as recently announced by the U.S. government, following criticism from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Washington’s strategy in the Iran war.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has expressed his interest in keeping the troops in Europe, emphasizing the importance of the U.S. military presence on the continent. During the visit of his Polish counterpart, Karol Nawrocki, both leaders agreed on the need to maintain the soldiers in the region and highlighted the readiness of both countries to host allied forces.
Nauseda has urged NATO allies to ensure that U.S. President Donald Trump does not shift his focus away from Europe. Nawrocki, on his part, has expressed his intention to convince Trump to keep the troops in Europe, highlighting that Poland has the necessary infrastructure to accommodate them.
Currently, Lithuania hosts approximately 1,000 U.S. troops, while Poland has 10,000 soldiers in a rotational deployment. This deployment is one of the largest of the United States in Europe, although smaller than that of Germany itself, which hosts about 39,000 military personnel.
During his first term in 2020, Trump had already threatened to withdraw about 10,000 soldiers from bases on German soil, citing Berlin’s alleged failure to meet its NATO obligations. However, those plans never materialized, and now the situation has gained relevance again following Merz’s criticisms.
The Pentagon’s announcement of the withdrawal of these soldiers has generated concern in Europe. Trump has even warned that the number could be even higher.