Germany wants to send some 4,000 Bundeswehr soldiers to Lithuania to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank. But this time, the “frontline of NATO” must be permanently reinforced. But that may take a while.
“Germany is ready to permanently station a robust brigade in Lithuania,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Monday during a visit to Lithuania’s capital Vilnius. The condition is the creation of the necessary infrastructure to house the soldiers and training facilities.
And therein lies the message of time. According to Pistorius, stationing a brigade with some 4,000 soldiers “plus equipment” and families required “considerable effort”. Suitable housing and resources should first be created. The German Defense Minister therefore did not want to commit to a specific date. Only so much: in the short term this is not possible.
Permanent solution so far disputed
In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the German government promised in June 2022 to have a brigade of combat troops ready to defend Lithuania in the event of an attack. However, so far it is controversial whether the soldiers should be permanently stationed in Lithuania. The Lithuanian government has strongly demanded this. The German government has been hesitant to comment for some time. Now there is a clear commitment from the German government for the first time.
So far, the Bundeswehr has only stationed a so-called brigade headquarters in Lithuania, but the actual combat troops only go to the Baltic States for longer exercises and then return to the barracks in Germany.
The largest part of the Panzergrenadierbrigade 41 “Vorpommern” is kept on standby in various places in Germany. In case of tension, it must be possible to transfer it to the Baltic country within ten days. This is currently being practiced for the third time. In recent days, about 300 tanks and other vehicles have been transferred to Lithuania, in addition to about 1,000 soldiers for a maneuver scheduled for July 7.
The Bundeswehr has been present in Rukla, Lithuania since 2017, with several hundred soldiers. Germany leads a NATO battle group there, currently numbering about 1,600 soldiers, nearly half of whom are from the German Bundeswehr.
Wagner troops create uncertainty
A visit by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to Vilnius on Monday reiterated calls for a stronger NATO presence on the eastern flank of the alliance. “This is the front line of NATO, where there is no room for even the slightest security breach,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said after meeting with Stoltenberg on Monday.
“Last weekend’s events in Russia demonstrated the instability of the Kremlin regime. We can expect similar, if not greater, challenges in the future,” said Nauseda. Lithuania borders the Russian Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad and is a direct neighbor of Belarus. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is said to be on his way to Minsk after his one-day uprising.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
