USA-MILITARY/EUROPE-LITHUANIA Lithuania close to accepting heavy U.S. arms

Record ID: 151177

  • Title: USA-MILITARY/EUROPE-LITHUANIA Lithuania close to accepting heavy U.S. arms
  • Date: 14th June 2015
  • Summary: PABRADE, LITHUANIA (FEBRUARY 25, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF COLUMN OF LITHUANIAN M113 AND U.S. ARMY STRYKER ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIERS DURING EXERCISE EXPLOSIONS IN FIELD VARIOUS OF LITHUANIAN SOLDIERS PERFORMING EXERCISE VARIOUS OF U.S. SOLDIERS ENTERING BUILDING U.S. SOLDIERS IN POSITION U.S. FLAG PATCH ON UNIFORM LITHUANIAN SOLDIERS
  • Embargoed: 29th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Lithuania
  • Country: Lithuania
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA1N4I3MDWFA21UFJNNDPFV3HSP
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Lithuania's Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius confirmed on Sunday (June 14) they were in talks with Washington on stationing heavy arms in warehouses in the region.
    "I see this decision positively. The threats to the Baltic region have increased. This has been discussed many times, and I positively view that the talking leads to concrete decisions which, I think, will become a reality. It is very important for us that safety is ensured for people in our country," said Butkevicius.
    On Saturday (June 13) a senior U.S. official said the United States plans to store heavy military equipment in the Baltics and Eastern European nations to reassure allies made uneasy by Russian intervention in Ukraine, and to deter further aggression.
    The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to comment on the details of the report, which cited U.S. and allied officials.
    The move would be the first time Washington has stationed heavy military equipment in the newer NATO member states in Eastern Europe and the Baltics that were once under the Soviet sphere of influence or were part of the Soviet Union.
    The proposal, which seeks to reassure European allies in the wake of Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea in March 2014, is expected to be approved by U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and the White House before a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels this month, the report said, quoting senior officials.
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