The German military has established a brigade in the Baltic country of Lithuania in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This is the first time Berlin has permanently stationed military personnel overseas on a solo basis since the end of World War Two.
A ceremony to mark the deployment took place in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on Thursday. Lithuania borders Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad and its ally Belarus.
The German brigade will have roughly 5,000 service members, Leopard 2 tanks and other military assets amid NATO’s efforts to reinforce member defenses.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed about 800 military personnel during the ceremony.
Merz said his country is aware of its own responsibility and that, “NATO can rely on Germany.” He also said Berlin’s goal is to provide all financial resources necessary to develop the German military into Europe’s strongest conventional armed forces.
Lithuanian crowds were seen welcoming the stationing of the German brigade despite Nazi Germany’s invasion during the war.
The Merz administration unveiled its plan to sharply boost defense spending after it was inaugurated earlier this month. This comes amid speculation that US President Donald Trump’s administration might reduce his country’s commitment to NATO.