{"id":29377,"date":"2025-05-24T07:57:57","date_gmt":"2025-05-24T04:57:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=29377"},"modified":"2025-05-24T07:57:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-24T04:57:58","slug":"germany-permanently-deploys-troops-in-another-country-for-the-first-time-since-world-war-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/germany-permanently-deploys-troops-in-another-country-for-the-first-time-since-world-war-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Germany permanently deploys troops in another country for the first time since World War II"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

5 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Germany has taken a historic leap in European defense policy, deploying its first permanent foreign military brigade since World War II. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz officially inaugurated the 45th Armored Brigade in Lithuania on May 22, 2025.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The newly stationed brigade represents a profound strategic shift in Germany\u2019s military posture and comes amid heightened concerns over Russian aggression. \u201cThis is a historic day,\u201d said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda following a meeting with Merz. \u201cThis is a day of trust, responsibility, and action,\u201d he added.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brigade, which will eventually consist of 4,800 German troops and 200 civilian staff, is slated to reach full operational strength by 2027. Troops will be stationed in the Lithuanian towns of Rukla and Rudninkai, marking a significant expansion from Germany\u2019s previous rotational presence in the country since 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


“Protecting Vilnius is protecting Berlin”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The official ceremony was held in the rainy cathedral square of Vilnius and featured a flyover of military helicopters and a parade of hundreds of troops. Merz\u2019s message was clear: \u201cProtecting Vilnius is protecting Berlin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merz emphasized that Germany is not only reinforcing its military abroad but also investing heavily in its armed forces. \u201cGermany is investing massively in its armed forces,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith this, we also want to send a signal to our allies: let us now invest with determination in our security. Together with our partners, we are determined to defend alliance territory against every aggression. The security of our Baltic allies is also our security,\u201d Merz said.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"German<\/a>
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz officially inaugurated the 45th Armored Brigade in Lithuania on May 22, 2025. (Image Credit: Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz\/via X)<\/sup><\/em>

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Strategic response to Russian threats<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The deployment is widely viewed as a direct response to Russia\u2019s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and ongoing fears that Moscow may seek to extend its territorial ambitions to the Baltic. Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia have repeatedly expressed concern about their vulnerability due to geographic proximity to Russia and its ally Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a press conference alongside Nauseda, Merz warned of \u201cRussia\u2019s aggressive revisionism\u201d and its attempts to \u201credraw the European map,\u201d adding that such actions posed \u201cgrave security risks for the entire continent, not only Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithuania shares a border with both Russia\u2019s Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus, making it a frontline NATO state. \u201cWe understand the threat and believe that we can face up to the threat with our allies,\u201d Nauseda affirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Germany\u2019s increasing defense spending<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chancellor Merz, a former Bundeswehr officer, has doubled down on his commitment to increasing the country\u2019s defense spending. In his inaugural address to parliament, he declared, \u201cThe government will in the future provide all the financing the Bundeswehr needs to become the strongest conventional army in Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Germany has already reached NATO\u2019s 2% defense spending target, largely due to a $113 billion special modernization fund established after Russia invaded Ukraine. But with that fund set to expire in 2027, Merz\u2019s government is moving to unlock more sustained defense funding by loosening constitutional restrictions on borrowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is appropriate for Europe\u2019s most populous and economically powerful country,\u201d Merz said. \u201cOur friends and partners also expect this from us. Indeed, they practically demand it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"A<\/a>
A German Army Leopard 2A6 tank, assigned to 104th Panzer Battalion, moves through the Joint Multinational Readiness Center during Saber Junction in Hohenfels, Germany. (Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)<\/sup><\/em>

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Leap toward 5% defense spending<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a further sign of shifting defense priorities, Lithuania announced in January that it would raise its defense spending to between 5% and 6% of GDP by the next few years, becoming the first NATO country to commit to a goal long advocated by former U.S. President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merz said that Germany aims to reach a combined 5% of GDP by 2032, with 3.5% devoted to military procurement and 1.5% to military-relevant infrastructure like roads, ports, and bridges. \u201cThose figures seem sensible to us; they also seem reachable, at least in the period until 2032 that has been stipulated,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius echoed Merz\u2019s resolve, calling the Lithuania deployment \u201ca clear signal to any potential adversary.\u201d Pistorius, who served under Scholz as well, reaffirmed Germany\u2019s readiness \u201cto defend every square inch of NATO territory.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Concerns over the US commitment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The German announcement also comes amid increasing unease in Europe about the future of the U.S. commitment to NATO, particularly considering Trump\u2019s previous threats to reduce U.S. troop deployments in Europe and his mixed signals regarding Ukraine\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked about this, Merz clarified, \u201cI do not indicate that the US would withdraw troops from Europe,\u201d reaffirming Berlin\u2019s intention to \u201cplay in a team with the US\u201d wherever possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Germany\u2019s internal military challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Berlin\u2019s external show of strength has drawn praise, the move also reveals internal challenges for the Bundeswehr. Among them: finding enough personnel willing to serve long-term abroad. The Bundestag has responded with legislation offering more flexible hours, increased allowances, and higher overtime pay to make foreign postings more appealing.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"German<\/a>
Germany’s Panzergrenadier system is making a significant contribution to the striking power and combat capability of the VJTF 2023. (Image Credit: Rheinmetall)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Lithuania\u2019s Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene stressed the urgency of credible deterrence. Echoing Pistorius, she warned that Russia could be able to attack a NATO member within five years. \u201cEvery Lithuanian knows, if the Russians come, no one will be spared,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The deployment of a permanent German brigade to Lithuania marks a pivotal moment in European security, symbolizing both Germany\u2019s renewed military ambition and its commitment to NATO solidarity. It sends a loud message to allies and adversaries alike: Germany is back as a full-fledged military power in Europe, determined to protect the continent\u2019s eastern frontier from external threats.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Germany has taken a historic leap in European defense policy, deploying its first permanent foreign military brigade since World War II. Chancellor Friedrich Merz officially inaugurated the 45th Armored Brigade in Lithuania on May 22, 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29380,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[62,1],"tags":[218,6,357,53,161,5,59,20,113,22],"class_list":["post-29377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-news","tag-army","tag-defense","tag-europe","tag-germany","tag-lithuania","tag-military","tag-nato","tag-russia","tag-security","tag-ukraine"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/German-troops-Merz.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-7DP","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29377"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29381,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29377\/revisions\/29381"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}