Although Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby has told Europe that U.S. troop levels there will come down, American forces appear instead to be shifting east toward Russia’s borders and north toward Greenland and Iceland. On Oct. 7, President Trump told Lithuanian broadcaster LRT that he would consider Lithuania’s invitation to host a permanent U.S. base. “They’re friends of mine. They are wonderful people. So we will certainly look at it,” Trump said. “I know so many people in Lithuania. They are great people.”

President Gitanas Nausėda called the remark “very good news” and a sign of U.S. trust in Lithuania. “The most important thing now is to act consistently and wait for the rotation of US troops,” he said, referring to the 1,000 U.S. troops arriving this month to replace those who rotated out over the summer. Laurynas Kasčiūnas, deputy chairman of the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defense, called it “wonderful news” but said it was too early to speak of a concrete plan.