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.
With our correspondent in Vilnius, Marielle Vitureau
” Russian military deploys and prepares to strike “, declared the American secretary of Defense in front of the press. 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 threatens Ukrainebut also the security of the whole 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.
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