VILNIUS, Jun 25, BNS – The drawdown of US troops from Germany poses certain risks, Lithuanian National Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis has said adding that Lithuania, however, would welcome increased US military presence in Poland.
“A significant drawdown of US troops from Germany would certainly not be positive. They have the necessary infrastructure, they have procedures and possibilities for training and we consider that drawdown as a risk of a potential certain division among NATO countries in Europe,” he told LRT Radio on Thursday morning.
“On the other hand, we have always favored the maximization of US military presence in Europe and in particular in our region. Poland is one of those spots that are probably the most important and we have always welcomed Poland’s efforts to maximize the number of US troops stationed in the country,” he added.
The US military presence in the region was important for deterrence, he said adding that it would also open up more possibilities for boosting American military presence in Lithuania.
“In my view, the increased presence of US troops in Poland might also mean more large-scale and more frequent military exercises of American troops in Lithuania,” Karoblis said.
He admitted having mixed feelings about the whole situation.
“On the one hand, we are cautious about this situation, however, as far as the US military presence in Poland is concerned, that would certainly be positive,” he said.
US president Donald Trump who met Poland’s President Andzej Duda at the White House on Wednesday told the reporters that Washington planned to reassign parts of its troops from Germany to Poland.
The US military presence in Germany would be reduced to 25,000, from 52,000, he said adding that some of those troops would be sent back to the United States and others would be reassigned to other countries.
“One of those other locations, other locations in Europe would be Poland,” the US president said.
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