German brigade in Lithuania heats things up in the Kremlin
A robust and war-ready Bundeswehr brigade will secure NATO's eastern flank over the next few years. While the move has met with broad approval in Lithuania, the project has not gone down well in Russia.
Russia has criticized the planned stationing of a German brigade in Lithuania from 2027. This will lead to an "escalation of military tensions" between Russia and NATO, said a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry. The agreement provides for the stationing of a German brigade of around 4,800 soldiers in Lithuania.
In Lithuania itself, however, the decision by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has been well received. In a survey commissioned by the Lithuanian army and conducted by the Spinter Tyrimai research institute, 82% of respondents supported the permanent presence. In the study, 83 percent also stated that they had a positive image of German soldiers.
Germany wants to permanently station a brigade in Lithuania as a combat-ready and independently operational unit, which is to be combat-ready by 2027 according to a roadmap signed on Monday. This is intended to meet the security needs of the NATO partner bordering the Russian Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad and Russia's ally Belarus.
Two combat battalions from Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia are to be deployed as the core of the new brigade. The third battalion will be the multinational NATO battle group (eFP battle group) in Lithuania, which is already under German command in the Baltic state and has rotating personnel. In addition, there will be logisticians, medical personnel, communications experts and administrative staff. Exact details of the necessary weapons purchases and the costs of the project are still being examined. Pistorius said that a brigade in Germany costs 25 to 30 million euros per month.
The plans are also a reaction to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Lithuania borders Belarus, which is allied with Russia, and the Russian Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad. A narrow land corridor runs between the two to the west - the so-called Suwalki Gap, around which fighting could break out in the event of an attack.
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The Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed concern over the planned stationing of a German brigade in Lithuania, viewing it as an escalation of military tensions between Russia and NATO. This deployment, expected from 2027, is part of Germany's response to Russia's attack on Ukraine.
The federal armed forces of Russia have been vocal in their criticism of Lithuania's decision to allow a German brigade to be stationed on its territory, citing potential regional instability. However, public opinion in Lithuania appears to be in favor of this move, with 82% supporting the permanent presence of German troops.
Source: www.ntv.de
