Lithuania says it could pay for a permanent in-country US base

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 2d Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, aim towards a combatant drone while participating in force-on-force training during Project Flytrap 5.0 at Pabradė Training Area, Lithuania, May 8, 2026. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. Joseph Honce)

MILAN — The Lithuanian government said it would be wi lling to cover the cost of establishing a permanent US military base in the country, an offer that President Donald Trump said the US government would “certainly” consider.

“Our partners simply need to make a political decision regarding the permanent deployment of troops, and Lithuania is ready to cover the associated financial costs,” the Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said on Facebook on Tuesday, as quoted by LRT, the country’s public broadcaster.

Sinkevičius discussed the possibility of a Lithuanian-funded US base in an appearance on Bloomberg on Sept. 29, saying Vilnius would “go for” an American base there, akin to the Fort Trump proposed in Poland . He said he told a US official recently, “We would like to have American troops with a permanent stationing, and we are ready to pay the bill if that’s the case.”

The discussion comes amid wariness from America’s NATO allies related to efforts by the Trump administration to reduce troop presence in Europe, which has played out in fits and starts .

Sinkevičius expressed his thanks during the Bloomberg interview that a new, temporary rotation of American troops would soon be arriving in the Baltic country. Since 2019, the US has continuously deployed forces on a rotational basis to Pabradė Training Area in southwestern Lithuania near the border with Belarus. According to a statement from the US Army, as of 2025, over 1,000 US forces were operating and training in the country.

“We are grateful to Donald Trump and the US administration for this decision, which is important not only for Lithuania, but also for the security of the entire region. The US military presence in Lithuania is an indispensable part of our deterrence,” Sinkevičius wrote in a post on X on Sept. 22.

In February, the Germany announced that Berlin planned to set up a 5,000-person brigade that will be permanently stationed in Lithuania, composed of soldiers and civilian personnel. The troops are expected to be based primarily in the areas of Rūdninkai and Rukla, with training and firing ranges as well as accommodation .

MQ-9B and Gambit Series: Advancing European Defense Capabilities

GA-ASI will build Gambit aircraft in Europe, partnered with European-based companies, with airframes available for international procurement starting in 2027.

The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment at the time of writing on whether the German brigade arrangement could serve as a potential template for any future enduring American presence in the country.

Between Sept. 20-26, the Lithuanian Minister of National Defense Robertas Kaunas was also on an official visit to Washington, where he met with executives from Lockheed Martin, Palantir, Northrop Grumman, and Mach Industries.

A statement from Lithuanian authorities said that in the last three years, the Baltic nation has bought nearly €2 b illion ( $2.24 billion) worth of military equipment from the US, becoming its largest customer in the Baltic region.

Breaking Defense Video

Unpacking Boeing’s F/A-XX win, plus a report from wartime Ukraine

How Hegseth envisions a new Autonomous Warfare Command

What Europe’s military air fleets will look like in 30 years

Riyadh gets closer to F-35s, Damascus presses sovereignty and an expert take on Iran

Drone-hunting on the border, plus turmoil at an Air Force think tank

The future of European airpower might be unmanned

The big news out of AFA, plus a guided tour of the show floor

Why the ‘right to repair’ matters to the Pentagon

What the Pentagon is testing along the US-Mexico border

Chairman Caine talks cislunar ops, plus a window into next-gen airlift

2026年5月8日，在立陶宛帕布拉德训练区举行的“捕蝇草计划5.0”实战训练中，隶属于美国陆军第2骑兵团第2中队的士兵瞄准一架作战无人机。（美国陆军预备役中士约瑟夫·洪斯摄）

米兰——立陶宛政府表示愿意承担在该国建立永久性美军基地的费用，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普表示，美国政府“肯定”会考虑这一提议。

据立陶宛公共广播公司 LRT 报道，立陶宛总理明道加斯·辛克维丘斯周二在 Facebook 上表示：“我们的合作伙伴只需要就永久部署军队做出政治决定，而立陶宛已准备好承担相关的财政费用。”

辛克维丘斯9月29日在彭博社节目中谈到了立陶宛出资建立美军基地的可能性，称维尔纽斯“乐于”在那里设立美军基地，类似于特朗普在波兰提议的“特朗普堡”。他表示，他最近告诉一位美国官员：“我们希望美军在那里永久驻扎，如果情况允许，我们愿意支付费用。”

此次讨论正值美国北约盟国对特朗普政府削减驻欧部队的努力感到担忧之际，而这一努力一直断断续续地进行着。

辛克维丘斯在接受彭博社采访时表示感谢，并透露一批新的美军临时轮换部队即将抵达波罗的海国家立陶宛。自2019年以来，美国持续以轮换方式向位于立陶宛西南部、靠近白俄罗斯边境的帕布拉德训练区部署部队。据美国陆军声明，截至2025年，已有超过1000名美军士兵在立陶宛执行任务和进行训练。

“我们感谢唐纳德·特朗普和美国政府的这一决定，这不仅对立陶宛意义重大，对整个地区的安全也至关重要。美国在立陶宛的军事存在是我们威慑力量不可或缺的一部分，”辛克维丘斯9月22日在X网站上发帖写道。

今年2月，德国宣布计划在立陶宛设立一支5000人的旅级部队，该部队将由士兵和文职人员组成，并永久驻扎在立陶宛。预计部队将主要驻扎在鲁德宁凯和鲁克拉地区，并配备训练场、射击场和住宿设施。

MQ-9B 和 Gambit 系列：提升欧洲国防能力

通用航空飞机公司（GA-ASI）将与欧洲公司合作，在欧洲建造 Gambit 飞机，从 2027 年开始，飞机机身将可供国际采购。

截至发稿时，立陶宛国防部尚未回应置评请求，即德国旅级部署方案是否可以作为未来美国在该国长期驻军的潜在模板。

9 月 20 日至 26 日期间，立陶宛国防部长罗伯塔斯·考纳斯也对华盛顿进行了正式访问，期间他会见了洛克希德·马丁公司、帕兰提尔公司、诺斯罗普·格鲁曼公司和马赫工业公司的管理人员。

立陶宛当局发表声明称，在过去三年里，这个波罗的海国家从美国购买了价值近 20 亿欧元（22.4 亿美元）的军事装备，成为美国在波罗的海地区最大的客户。

突破性防御视频

深入剖析波音F/A-XX的中标，以及来自战时乌克兰的报道

赫格塞斯设想的新型自主作战指挥部

30年后欧洲军用空军机队会是什么样子

利雅得距离F-35战机更近一步，大马士革强调主权，以及专家对伊朗的看法

边境无人机猎杀行动，以及空军智库的动荡

欧洲空军的未来或许在于无人化。

AFA展会最新动态，以及展会现场导览。

为什么“维修权”对五角大楼如此重要

五角大楼正在美墨边境测试什么？

凯恩主席谈地月空间作业，以及下一代空运技术展望