Trump says US will consider Lithuania’s request for a permanent military base
In short
US President Donald Trump said the United States will consider Lithuania’s proposal to create a US military base on its territory, speaking at a briefing at the White House. On 1 October Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said Vilnius was ready to host a US military contingent on a permanent basis and to reimburse the Pentagon’s costs. Russian outlets note that a political agreement alone would not be enough, pointing to a similar Polish request that went through the US defence department.
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US President Donald Trump said the United States will consider Lithuania’s proposal to create a US military base on its territory. Speaking at a briefing on the lawn of the White House, Trump said, according to Kommersant: “Мы, безусловно, рассмотрим этот вопрос. Я знаю очень много людей в Литве. Это замечательные люди”. TASS, RIA Novosti, RBC and Kommersant all carried the statement, with TASS and RIA Novosti reporting it in their feeds and RBC describing it as a response to a request from the Lithuanian authorities. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The request was made public by Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius on 1 October, when he said the country was ready to host a US military contingent on its territory on a permanent basis. According to Kommersant, Sinkevičius said he made the offer during a meeting with US special envoy John Cole, and that Vilnius was ready to reimburse the Pentagon for all its expenses because it wants US troops present as a security guarantee. [ 4 ]
Kommersant noted that political agreement alone is not enough to create a permanent US base. In the comparable Polish case, the proposal was formalised in a letter from the defence minister to the head of the Pentagon on 29 May 2026, after which Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth supported it — a procedure that indicates an allied initiative must go through separate consideration at the US defence department. A permanent base may mean not merely keeping troops already deployed but expanding the scale of the presence: the Polish project in September 2026 referred to the deployment of about 10,000 servicemen against a current US contingent of 7,000, Kommersant reported. [ 4 ]
At the same briefing, Trump also allowed the creation of a US military base in Poland, saying “поляки очень хотят этого”, according to TASS. No decision on either request has been announced in the documents, and no timetable for consideration is given. [ 5 ]
Why it matters
If approved, a permanent base would go beyond keeping troops already deployed and could mean a larger US military presence in Lithuania, according to Kommersant’s description of the Polish precedent. Lithuania has offered to cover the Pentagon’s costs, making the request a question of US political and defence-department approval rather than funding. The documents give no decision date, so the outcome remains open.
Key facts
- US President Donald Trump said the United States will consider Lithuania’s proposal to create a US military base on its territory. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Trump spoke at a briefing on the lawn of the White House and said: “Мы, безусловно, рассмотрим этот вопрос. Я знаю очень много людей в Литве. Это замечательные люди”. [ 4 ]
- On 1 October Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said Lithuania was ready to host a US military contingent on a permanent basis. [ 4 ]
- Sinkevičius said he made the offer during a meeting with US special envoy John Cole, and that Vilnius was ready to reimburse the Pentagon for all costs. [ 4 ]
- Kommersant reported that political agreement alone is not enough, citing the Polish case, where the proposal was formalised in a letter from the defence minister to the head of the Pentagon on 29 May 2026, after which Pete Hegseth supported it. [ 4 ]
- In the Polish project, September 2026 documents referred to the deployment of about 10,000 servicemen against a current US contingent of 7,000, according to Kommersant. [ 4 ]
- Trump also said at the same briefing that a US military base could be created in Poland, saying “поляки очень хотят этого”. [ 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether the United States will actually approve the base, and on what timetable. The documents only report that Trump said the request would be considered; no decision date or process outcome is given.
- The terms Lithuania offered, including reimbursement of Pentagon costs and the size of any contingent. The cost-reimbursement and meeting details with John Cole appear only in Kommersant among the documents.
- The status of the Poland base statement. Trump’s remark that a base could be created in Poland is carried by a single official outlet, TASS, in a feed summary.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- TASS reports that the United States will consider Lithuania’s proposal to create a military base on its territory. [ 1 ]
- RIA Novosti reports that Trump said the United States will consider creating a military base in Lithuania. [ 2 ]
- RBC reports that Trump said he will consider the deployment of a US military base in Lithuania. [ 3 ]
- Kommersant quotes Trump at a briefing on the White House lawn saying the United States will “certainly” consider the question. [ 4 ]
- TASS reports that Trump also allowed the creation of a US military base in Poland. [ 5 ]
- Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius says Lithuania is ready to host a US military contingent on a permanent basis, stating this at a meeting with US special envoy John Cole. [ 4 ]
- In the Polish case, the proposal was formalised in a letter from the defence minister to the head of the Pentagon; Pete Hegseth then supported it. [ 4 ]