There is resentment in Lithuania about Germany’s contribution to the defense of its NATO partner. Over the weekend, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) had visited Bundeswehr soldiers at the Rukla base, where she spoke of “regular exercises” that the soldiers should attend. In the event of a threat, she said, the unit should be in Lithuania within ten days.
“This is not the agreement we have,” said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, in contrast. “The Germans have confirmed, yes, they would come, in case of a threat. The agreement as signed by (Lithuania’s) President Nauseda and Chancellor Scholz is about a brigade ready to fight in Lithuania.” Lithuania’s government, he said, has a clear timetable for hosting the brigade, and “a very clear invitation must now be extended to the Germans” to “tell them whether the dates fit their planning.”
On Tuesday, the Defense Committee in Parliament called on Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas to answer questions next week. He said the reinforcement of German troops agreed after the NATO summit in Madrid should be achieved through physical presence. “The ten-day model can only be temporary until we are done (with preparations),” said Laurynas Kasčiūnas, head of the committee. Germany has led a NATO battalion of about 1,600 troops in Rukla since 2017.
I wonder how that misalignment came to be.
Probably the Bundeswehr telling the political leadership that they actually can not do it.
A permanent Brigade? Seems a lot, expensive and not yet official NATO policy to station such large forces permanently on eastern soil, ist it?
To brutal truth is that Lithuania can either have this brigade on ten-day-model or none at all. Because I don’t need to be a fortuneteller to predict that a whole trainload of soldiers would say “Fuck it” and flee into civilian life if faced with such a permanent posting. Rural locations in the german boondocks are bad enough for many soldiers (since there is no “culture” of taking care of the families such as in the US and there is a reason why divorce rates are sky-high among Bundeswehr members), but a permanent foreign deployment to Lithuania would cause a blowout. That’s as certain as the Amen in church …
If a permanent presence is desired, a new system would have to be set up. Similar to how the US houses their soldiers in foreign countries.
So somewhere in Lithuania, a small “german town” would appear, with a bunch of german civilians who tag along with their spouses/parents, with a german school, and so on.
So, which lithuanian town wants to volunteer for a bunch of people who will most likely refuse to learn even basic Lithuanian, complain about the lack of bread varieties on offer at the local supermarket, and take over the local cinema to show terrible Till Schweiger movies?
Probably yet another german backstage deal with russia. 10 days promise is a joke, ruskies would get to Baltic sea sooner than that.
First of all, we are not demanding. We talk and communicate. Second, it’s an internal political clash between minister of defence and leader of parliamentary security council. Minister says that all is good, leader of security council says that it should be better and attacks minister saying that he should do more.
In principle this is something to be welcomed, but I think it has to be made clear that this will happen under the FNC. Further, given that the protection is to the benefit of the host state and, given the state of the Bundeswehr, the extra costs ought to be shared to some degree.
If this will work like cooperation and integration with the Netherlands, which benefits everyone involved, it’ll be great.
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There is resentment in Lithuania about Germany’s contribution to the defense of its NATO partner. Over the weekend, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) had visited Bundeswehr soldiers at the Rukla base, where she spoke of “regular exercises” that the soldiers should attend. In the event of a threat, she said, the unit should be in Lithuania within ten days.
“This is not the agreement we have,” said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, in contrast. “The Germans have confirmed, yes, they would come, in case of a threat. The agreement as signed by (Lithuania’s) President Nauseda and Chancellor Scholz is about a brigade ready to fight in Lithuania.” Lithuania’s government, he said, has a clear timetable for hosting the brigade, and “a very clear invitation must now be extended to the Germans” to “tell them whether the dates fit their planning.”
On Tuesday, the Defense Committee in Parliament called on Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas to answer questions next week. He said the reinforcement of German troops agreed after the NATO summit in Madrid should be achieved through physical presence. “The ten-day model can only be temporary until we are done (with preparations),” said Laurynas Kasčiūnas, head of the committee. Germany has led a NATO battalion of about 1,600 troops in Rukla since 2017.
I wonder how that misalignment came to be.
Probably the Bundeswehr telling the political leadership that they actually can not do it.
A permanent Brigade? Seems a lot, expensive and not yet official NATO policy to station such large forces permanently on eastern soil, ist it?
To brutal truth is that Lithuania can either have this brigade on ten-day-model or none at all. Because I don’t need to be a fortuneteller to predict that a whole trainload of soldiers would say “Fuck it” and flee into civilian life if faced with such a permanent posting. Rural locations in the german boondocks are bad enough for many soldiers (since there is no “culture” of taking care of the families such as in the US and there is a reason why divorce rates are sky-high among Bundeswehr members), but a permanent foreign deployment to Lithuania would cause a blowout. That’s as certain as the Amen in church …
If a permanent presence is desired, a new system would have to be set up. Similar to how the US houses their soldiers in foreign countries.
So somewhere in Lithuania, a small “german town” would appear, with a bunch of german civilians who tag along with their spouses/parents, with a german school, and so on.
So, which lithuanian town wants to volunteer for a bunch of people who will most likely refuse to learn even basic Lithuanian, complain about the lack of bread varieties on offer at the local supermarket, and take over the local cinema to show terrible Till Schweiger movies?
Probably yet another german backstage deal with russia. 10 days promise is a joke, ruskies would get to Baltic sea sooner than that.
First of all, we are not demanding. We talk and communicate. Second, it’s an internal political clash between minister of defence and leader of parliamentary security council. Minister says that all is good, leader of security council says that it should be better and attacks minister saying that he should do more.
In principle this is something to be welcomed, but I think it has to be made clear that this will happen under the FNC. Further, given that the protection is to the benefit of the host state and, given the state of the Bundeswehr, the extra costs ought to be shared to some degree.
If this will work like cooperation and integration with the Netherlands, which benefits everyone involved, it’ll be great.