Shafaq News..Lithuanian President: US troops strengthen deterrence against Russia

Shafaq News- New York

The return and rotational deployment of US forces in
Lithuania strengthen deterrence against Russia and reassures the Lithuanian
public, President Gitanas Nauseda told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

Speaking to Shafaq News in New York on the sidelines of the
81st session of the UN General Assembly, Nauseda pointed out that Vilnius was
working closely with the administration of US President Donald Trump on the
troop redeployment. “Lithuania has proved in recent months and years to be a
very serious and responsible partner for the United States,” he said.

On ties between Vilnius and Washington, the Lithuanian
president indicated that his country allocates about 5.4% of its gross domestic
product to defense and cooperates closely with the United States on energy by
importing US liquefied natural gas through the port of Klaipeda. He added that
Lithuania also supports US initiatives in the Strait of Hormuz with its
demining capabilities.

Nauseda said Russia’s aggression could be stopped only
through joint action and by “building this necessary wall of deterrence” with
partners including the United States and Germany.

He added that Berlin plans to deploy a full military brigade
in Lithuania by the end of 2027, while Vilnius aims to establish a national
military division by the end of 2030 as part of its national defense
responsibilities.

Asked about media reports suggesting plans to evacuate
residents to neighboring countries, including Poland, in the event of a
military escalation, Nauseda said such discussions approached the issue from the wrong angle.

“Russia is threatening all of us,” he said, adding that
Moscow threatened not individual countries but “the way of life, the democratic
rules, the rules-based international order.” Lithuania’s priority should
instead be strengthening collective defense and national resilience.

“We should not talk about evacuation because this is a plan
B, C or D,” he said. “We should talk about plan A,” he added, saying that “plan
A is to strengthen our national security.”

For Shafaq News, Mustafa Hashem, New York