The U.S. Army has resumed the rotation of troops to Lithuania. This was stated by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on Tuesday on X the day before yesterday. On Wednesday, Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas spoke of two battalions that were due to arrive in October. In the Baltic country, since 2019, a reinforced battalion of the armored brigade, which, as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, is rotated to Poland for nine months, had typically been stationed. After a May announcement by the U.S. Department of Defense regarding a realignment of the U.S. troop presence in Europe this year, the continent’s last rotation, however, was withdrawn without a replacement.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon had also halted the rotation to Poland after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that, due to criticism by Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the Iran war, within six to twelve months 5,000 soldiers and more would be withdrawn from Germany. Apparently to anchor this unrealistic statement with something practical, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth abruptly canceled the deployment of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (BCT) of the 1st Cavalry Division that had already begun. This deployment would normally have landed in Germany to march from there to Poland.
Poland and Lithuania as Collateral Damage of Trump Criticism
This provoked irritation especially in Warsaw, where there has long sought to bind itself more closely to the United States and has restrained itself from criticizing Trump. A few weeks later, the U.S. president announced that the troops would indeed be redeployed to Poland, but at the beginning of July it was stated from there that this would take place in a few more weeks according to the American embassy. Previously, there had been complaints from the U.S. Congress that Minister Hegseth had unilaterally reduced the personnel sent to Europe of the 2nd BCT, 1st Cavalry Division by 40 percent.
In August, the U.S. Army said that now a brigade of the 1st Infantry Division would replace another in Europe. There had been no official confirmation yet of a deployment to Lithuania. As part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a total of two armored Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) rotate to reassure Eastern NATO partners after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. These are complemented by rotating Army aviation, artillery, and logistics brigades, each under a Division headquarters.
Pentagon to Reduce Overall Troop Strength in Europe
Already last October, the rotation of a light BCT on NATO’s southeastern flank, based in Romania, had been halted. At the end of May, the Pentagon announced that the number of U.S. Army Brigade Combat Teams stationed in Europe would be reduced from four to three and the troop strength on the continent would be brought back to the 2021 level, before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In this context there is speculation about the withdrawal of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment from Vilseck, Bavaria. The U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) could also be downgraded to a three-star command.
At least the promotion of Lieutenant General Kevin Admiral, who is nominated to succeed the recently ousted four-star General Christopher Donahue for unclear reasons, is not currently planned. However, Congress conditioned in the latest defense spending bill that U.S. troop strength in Europe may fall below 76,000 only if the Secretary of Defense and the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff explain to him the reasons, consequences, and coordination with allies. The Global Posture Review expected since last summer from the Trump administration remains outstanding.
