On Monday, President Trump was asked whether the US would consider a permanent military base in Lithuania. “They are friends of mine. They are great people. So we will certainly look at it.”

That was enough encouragement for Lithuanian’s Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius, who then announced Lithuania would cover its cost. “@POTUS only needs to make a political decision and Lithuania is ready to cover the associated costs. ”, he announced on X.

This is not simply another smaller European country keen on more American security guarantees. In the last few days, Lithuania has completed new housing for a battalion of German troops; courted the US military, and moved closer towards removing a constitutional remnant of the security order it created after escaping the Soviet Union.

On Tuesday, the Seimas, its Parliament, overwhelmingly voted to abolish Article 137 of its constitution: “Weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases may not be stationed on the territory of the Republic of Lithuania.” The vote is one of two required, with a second vote, and presidential approval, pending for January.

When the law was written in 1992, Lithuania had only just recovered its independence........

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