NATO KFOR MISSION: LITHUANIA PULLING OUT,

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000160


E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2019
TAGS: MOPS MARR PREL NATO KPKO KV AF LH
SUBJECT: NATO KFOR MISSION: LITHUANIA PULLING OUT,
SHIFTING FOCUS TO AFGHANISTAN

REF: A. STATE 26179

B. VILNIUS 84


Classified By: Ambassador John A. Cloud for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) Lithuanian Defense Minister Rasa Jukneviciene
announced Lithuania's plans to terminate participation in
KFOR at the March 24 deployment ceremony for its 20th (and
last) KFOR rotation. In comments to the media, Jukneviciene
said the decision would allow Lithuania to concentrate on
Afghanistan. She did not announce a precise date for the
Lithuanian troops to withdraw from KFOR, but estimated that
the current deployment would last less than six months.


2. (C) Chief of Defense, LTG Valdas Tutkus, told Ambassador
March 23 that the decision had already been coordinated with
the Ukrainians and Poles. MFA Transatlantic Cooperation and
Security Policy Department Director Vytautas Leskevicius told
us March 24 that several officers would remain in Kosovo as
part of the training mission there, even after the rest of
the troops withdrew.


3. (C) In a February 5 meeting, Jukneviciene previewed to
Ambassador Lithuania's plans to withdraw from Kosovo,
explaining that this would allow for additional troops to be
sent to its PRT in Ghor province during the summer elections,
and might also help fund the expansion of Lithuania's SOF
deployment in the south (ref B). Leskevicius was more blunt,
saying that pulling out of Kosovo "is the price for
increasing in Afghanistan." He confirmed that Lithuania's
SOF troops had already increased to 69, and said the extra
platoon for Ghor would remain through at least the end of
October. In addition, despite a tight budget situation, the
GOL has found 20,000 euros to contribute to the ANA Trust
Fund.


CLOUD