Lithuanian President Supports Further Rotation of US Troops in Country

The rotation of US troops in Lithuania should be continued and military cooperation should be improved, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said Monday during a meeting with Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the commanding general of the US Army in Europe.

VILNIUS (Sputnik) — Grybauskaite and Hodges discussed the upcoming NATO summit, the press release added.

"The President stressed that it was necessary to maintain a continuous rotation of US troops in Lithuania and conduct intensive military exercises based on real threat scenarios. It is essential to continuously improve interoperability between Lithuanian and US military units," the press release of the president's office said.

International military drills Iron Wolf 2016 that are a part of larger NATO maneuver Saber Strike 2016, started in Lithuania earlier on Monday. The maneuver will last till June, 16. More than 5,000 troops from Denmark, France, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg and the United States will participate in the drills.