Lithuania requests more US troops from US Secretary of State

US Secretary of State Lloyd Austin (left) was visiting Lithuania this Saturday, February 19, 2022. He met with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis (right).

© Mindaugas Kulbis/AP

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense, traveled to Lithuania to discuss defense and security in the Baltic countries, as the situation becomes increasingly tense on the border between Russia and Ukraine.

Russian troops are preparing to strike, he said.

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With our correspondent in Vilnius,

“ 

 ,” the US Secretary of Defense told reporters.

Lloyd Austin, a former general, sees the equipment as proof of this, such as a field hospital that the Russians have set up near their troops.

In this context, the Lithuanian President, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs all reiterated the same message to their guest from Washington: there must be a permanent presence of American soldiers on Lithuanian soil.

Lithuania wants more US troops

Since the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, about 500 American soldiers have been present on a rotational basis in Lithuania.

Now we have to move up a gear.

We can no longer speak of deterrence, we must speak of defense for the head of Lithuanian diplomacy.

The deployment of Russian troops

, but also the security of the entire region.

Lloyd Austin made no announcement regarding the Lithuanian demands, but he repeatedly assured that the United States stood with its allies.

A message that he wants to convey to the three Baltic States, but also to Russia.

.@SecDef: I want everyone in Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia to know—and I want President Putin and the Kremlin to know—that the United States stands with our Allies.

#WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/mI1Bj3lfJR

— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) February 19, 2022

►Also read: Before his visit to Washington, Scholz ready to send soldiers to the Baltic countries

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• Lithuania

• Ukraine

• United States

• Defense