The Lithuanian defense minister said on Tuesday that a new contingent of US troops and weapons would be deployed’ in Lithuania in November, but that their presence was not linked’ to the situation in neighboring Belarus.
Belarus has been protesting for six weeks
since the August 9 election, with President Alexander Lukashenko claiming
victory.
Since then, Lukashenko has accused NATO of
building near its borders, launching military exercises near the borders of
Lithuania and Poland, and putting half of its troops on high alert.
More than 500 US troops, about 25 Abrams
tanks and about 30 Bradley armored vehicles will replace a contingent arriving
in Lithuania on September 4 for a two-month stay near the Belarusian border.
The new force will last until mid-June 2021.
Defense Secretary Raimondas Karoblis said
US troops in Lithuania were not involved in the situation in Belarus.
Belarus's military activity near the
border has declined this month compared to the weapons in August, Karoblis
said.
"The US presence calms us down, it's
a powerful obstacle, but it's not specifically rooted in the situation in
Belarus, but rather Russia's aggression in Ukraine and Georgia," Karblius
told reporters at the Pabrade Military Training Grounds. The latter is particularly
closely linked’ to the geopolitical situation. "
Russia, which sees Belarus as a buffer
state against the European Union and NATO, has backed Lukashenko and accused
the United States of staging a revolution in its neighbor.
The US ambassador to Lithuania, Robert
Gilchrist, also said there was no link between the military presence and
Belarus.
"It's about preparation, it's about
working with our allies. (Belarus) It has nothing to do with it," he said.
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