Trump pauses US troops deployment in Lithuania in ‘revenge’ plot against NATO | World | News

US President Donald Trump has paused the rotation of US troops in Lithuania, in a move likely to alarm NATO allies. While the U.S. Army has canceled the deployment of nearly 4,000 soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, to central and eastern Europe, Lithuanian officials say the United States has also paused troop rotations to the region.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas told Lithuania’s state-backed public broadcaster LRT RADIO: “The rotation has been paused to evaluate how the US will distribute its capabilities in Europe. This is the information we have so far and we are waiting for clarification; we will be able to provide more information when we receive more news.”

The decision is expected to add to growing concern among NATO allies about America’s long-term military commitment to Europe amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. But Kaunas insisted that Lithuania, Poland and the Baltic states remain “exemplary allies” that continue to meet the defense expectations of both NATO and the United States.

The move comes amid rising tensions between Trump and his NATO allies. Speaking at a Turning Point event in Arizona last month, the US President said: “We must rely on ourselves. We cannot rely on foreign countries and foreign sources.”

An Army official confirmed the cancellation Wednesday but did not give a reason and referred all questions to the Pentagon. The Pentagon has so far declined to comment publicly on the move.

The deployment would require sending more than 4,000 troops and military equipment to Poland as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a long-running NATO mission aimed at strengthening security on Europe’s eastern flank.

Reports indicate that when the order was stopped, some troops began heading to Poland with equipment still en route.

The move was not mentioned at Tuesday’s congressional hearing on the Army budget, although concerns were voiced about the increasing financial pressures facing the U.S. military.

During the hearing, Sen. Jack Reed warned that the Army faces a budget shortfall of at least $2 billion associated with expanded operations, including National Guard deployments in Washington, D.C., and border security missions.

Army officials have reportedly warned that the service faces a budget shortfall of between $4 billion and $6 billion due to rising operational costs at home and abroad.

The financial crunch has triggered major cuts to military training exercises and readiness programs in some parts of the force, according to ABC News.

The Pentagon announced in April that approximately 5,000 American soldiers would be withdrawn from Germany.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved the move after reviewing “the theater requirements and conditions on the ground,” Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell said.

The reduction would return U.S. troop numbers in Europe to levels seen before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022; a conflict that the monitoring group Every Casualty Counts said killed more than 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers and at least 100,000 Russian soldiers.

More than 10,000 US troops are currently stationed in Poland on a rotational basis.

More than 1,000 US troops are currently stationed in Lithuania, where American military rotations have continued since 2014. Armored battalions have been deployed here since 2019, and artillery units will be strengthened in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The “Black Jack” brigade, based at Fort Hood, was expected to operate for nine months; Stars and Stripes reported that the unit officially retained its colors on May 1 before separating.

While part of the brigade’s forward echelon was already in Poland, the equipment was reportedly still in transit when the deployment was cancelled.

Officials at Fort Hood and Army headquarters referred all questions to the Department of Defense, which responded to Army Times by saying: “We have no comment on this matter at this time.”