Germany to station 4,000 troops in Lithuania to bolster NATO’s eastern flank

Europe, News June 28, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has announced that Berlin plans to permanently station around 4,000 troops in its fellow NATO member state of Lithuania to help the alliance secure its eastern flank.

While speaking at a news conference during his visit to the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on June 25, 2023, the German defense minister said that “Germany is ready to permanently station a robust brigade in Lithuania.” He added that Berlin would help to set up training facilities and other infrastructure in the region before stationing around 4,000 troops near the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.

Germany already has a battlegroup stationed in Lithuania that comprises more than 1,000 troops. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, NATO has been focusing on bolstering its defense in the Baltic region due to its proximity to Russian borders.

Lithuania has been the most active NATO member state to raise concerns about the security situation on its borders. After Vilnius’s repeated request to station combat troops, Germany pledged to have a full brigade ready to defend Lithuania in case of an attack.

*^{German troops taking part in Exercise Griffin Storm together with Lithuanian soldiers in Pabrade, Lithuania, on June 26, 2023. (Image Credit: NATO)}*

In the past, Germany had been brushing off Vilnius’s request to station a brigade in Lithuania by quoting the lack of necessary infrastructure. Berlin said it would take Lithuania years to provide barracks, housing areas for families, depots, and training grounds to host large numbers of troops.

German Defense Minister Pistorius said, “We agree that the brigade will grow step-by-step as the infrastructure is established,” adding that such a deployment could not be completed within “a few months”.

Exercise Griffin Storm

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius traveled to Lithuania along with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to observe the joint military exercise Griffin Storm. President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda also joined the german defense minister and NATO secretary general.

Germany has sent more than 1,000 troops and 300 tanks of the 41st Mechanized Infantry Brigade “Vorpommern” to Lithuania to take part in the drills. The exercise tested the rapid reinforcement of the German-led NATO battlegroup to brigade size.

The drills are being conducted by German and Lithuanian armies in Pabrade, a town in Lithuania less than 200 kilometers away from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.

^{NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda, Minister of Defense of Lithuania Arvydas Anušauskas, and Minister of Defense of Germany Boris Pistorius meeting troops during the Exercise Griffin Storm 2023. (Image Credit: NATO)}

NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg said, “This exercise sends a clear message: NATO is ready to defend every inch of Allied territory. We are demonstrating that we can also reinforce quickly, whenever needed.” Stoltenberg also praised Germany and Lithuania for providing “critical support and training” to Ukraine, adding that this “helps save lives every day.”

Germany’s increased focus on military and defense

Despite being Europe’s largest economy, Germany’s annual defense spending did not meet the NATO threshold of 2% of the annual GDP for several years. However, the war in Ukraine has brought a major transition in German defense policy. Germany has shifted its focus on military modernization and committed 100 billion Euros to the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces.

In the latest meeting between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg last week, it was announced that Germany will meet NATO’s target of devoting 2% of its annual GDP to military spending “as early as next year”.

Over the course of the last two weeks, Germany also hosted NATO’s largest-ever military exercise Air Defender 23 which concluded on June 23, 2023. More than 250 aircraft and 10,000 personnel from 25 different countries participated in the exercises.