Lithuania to seek continued US presence in region if Trump elected: President

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) – Lithuanian president confirmed on Thursday that the Baltic Country will continue to seek US presence in the region if Donald Trump is elected as new American leader.

President Gitanas Nauseda said he will seek to convince the new administration to continue Washington’s active role in the Baltic Sea region.

“I had experience with the Trump administration. I have to say that we took important decisions in NATO to strengthen the alliance,” Nauseda told reporters at the European Political Community Summit in the United Kingdom on Thursday.

He argued that Washington's presence in Europe and the Baltic region “is the best deterrent against Russia and I think it contributes to stability in the whole region.”

“If there is a new administration in the US, my task and the task of my colleagues will be to convince them to continue this policy of transatlantic bond,” he added.

The European Political Community Summit has brought together leaders from 45 countries, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a security-focused summit clouded by concerns about whether the United States will remain as a trusted ally if Trump wins the election.

Following war in Ukraine, Washington last year stepped up its military presence in the Baltic countries and changed the status of US forces in Lithuania to a persistent rotational presence, according to national broadcaster LRT.

Earlier today Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said he does not believe that any US president would turn its back on Ukraine or abandon the NATO as the defense alliance which benefits all its members.

When asked about recent speculation that the next US administration could withdraw backing for Ukraine, Store told Bloomberg TV: “I will not accept the prediction that that will happen.”

Against the backdrop of Finnish President Alexander Stubb's meeting with US President Joe Biden at the NATO summit in Washington DC held earlier this month, European and Nordic diplomats have been preparing for a possible victory by Trump in November, according to Finnish national broadcaster YLE.

Finnish diplomats have also met with Trump's inner circle and donors, and according to the broadcaster the diplomats maintain contacts with members of both parties in the US Congress.

Experts say that Trump’s defiant display after last week’s assassination attempt has significantly boosted his chances of being elected as next US president.