Estonia has no clarity on future U.S. troop rotations, Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) said on Wednesday, after it was reported that Lithuania does not know when its American forces will be replaced.
The presence of U.S. forces in the Baltic states and Poland became a permanent rotational deployment following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
The number of troops in the Baltic states has ranged from 700 to 1,000, and troop rotations have so far taken place like clockwork. However, the future is uncertain, as the U.S. administration is reviewing its military presence in Europe.
More than 1,000 U.S. troops and their equipment began withdrawing from Lithuania following the end of a deployment rotation this week, but it is not yet known who will replace them and when, public broadcaster LRT reported. Officials say new units will arrive.
Estonia is also in the dark about future deployments, politicians told ERR’s “Aktuaalne kaamera” evening news program on Wednesday.
The U.S. currently has one armored infantry battalion in Võru, southern Estonia, and a tank company at the Tapa military base. Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur (Reform) said troop rotations are currently proceeding as usual.
“Since the Americans have now said that the deployment of forces in Europe is under review, no moves will be made in Europe until it is clear what SACEUR [Supreme Allied Commander Europe] and EUCOM [U.S. European Command] agree between themselves,” Pevkur said.
At the same time, Pevkur echoed his Lithuanian counterpart’s message that the U.S. presence will remain. However, preparations for the next rotation are not taking place.
“It is possible that the plan will be presented when we have the NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels in two weeks, perhaps before that. We will have to wait and see,” Pevkur said.
MP Kalev Stoicescu (Eesti 200), chairman of the Riigikogu National Defense Committee, said the news has been hectic.
“One day it’s that 4,000–5,000 troops are not going to Poland, and the next day it’s that they are. It would be good not to speculate too much right now. We have also been assured that the U.S. presence will remain,” he told the show.
U.S. leaders have previously said the deployment to Estonia, regardless of its size, shows a commitment to the region’s security.
Ämari Air Base was developed into a NATO air base on the initiative of President Barack Obama and with U.S. financial support. Estonia’s first HIMARS multiple rocket launcher units were purchased with U.S. aid and trained by U.S. forces stationed in Estonia.
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