Lithuania, Latvia Welcome 5,000 US Troops as Trump Threatens Germany Pullback

10 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · May 11

Latvia and Lithuania said they are ready to host more US forces if Washington follows through on plans to cut more than 5,000 troops from Germany.
Their foreign ministers pitched both countries as strong NATO hosts, with Lithuania saying troops closer to Russia would strengthen deterrence and citing capacity to expand existing facilities.
Lithuania already hosts about 1,000 US troops and a German tank brigade set to reach 5,000 personnel by the end of 2027.
Kaja Kallas urged the US to keep troops in Europe, though Finland said a 5,000-troop shift would not materially change the overall American posture of roughly 85,000 personnel.
European allies expect Trump could announce further withdrawals, possibly from Italy, and drop a Biden-era plan to station long-range missiles in Germany.

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Will relocating US troops to the Baltics truly enhance deterrence, or does it make them a bigger target?

As America's focus shifts to China, is its decades-long security guarantee for Europe now effectively over?