Germany enhances the brigade of battle tanks in Lithuania to strengthen the eastern side of NATO, as European allies take unprecedented steps to discourage increasingly enemy Russia.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius will take part in the first ceremonial call of Panzer Brigade 45 in the heart of the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.
The aim of Germany is to complete the brigade establishment by the end of 2027, with up to 5,000 employees on Earth. Since World War II, it will be the first permanently deployed brigade of battle tanks in the country.
Since the US was expected to return security commitments to Europe under President Donald Trump, Germany has committed to playing a greater role in the defense of the continent. The new Chancellor on the right-right center committed itself to transform the German army from Laggard into the strongest conventional army in Europe.
The decision to deploy the entire brigade in Lithuania came as part of the revamp of NATO’s defense after a Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. After months of pressure from the government of the front of the Baltic nation, which is coccated between the Russian exclusion of Kaliningrad and the Kremlin Ally Belarus.
Merz is expected to reflect the message of the predecessor of Olaf Scholz, who, during his visit last year, committed that Germany would defend “every centimeter of the territory” of its three allies of the Baltic NATO in the case of a Russian attack.
According to the Ministry of Defense, there are currently around 400 German soldiers, which the German authorities hope to increase to 500 by the end of this year.
German soldiers have already launched their first training and exercise activities on Earth, which will be further intensified in the coming months, a spokesman for the German Ministry of Defense said.
In February 2026, the multinational force of NATO in Lithuania will be subordinate to the Panzer Brigade 45, thus increasing the unit numbers up to 1800. In the summer of 2026 Germany is trying to have almost 2,000 soldiers on Earth.
However, whether Berlin can deploy a full brigade by the end of 2027, however, partly depends on how quickly the Lithuanian authorities can expand the infrastructure and accommodation for another 3,000 soldiers needed to meet this goal.
Lithuania increases defense spending to 5.25% of GDP to strengthen its own army and host the German brigade. The Baltic nation estimates that it can spend approximately 1 billion euros on the construction of military and training infrastructure for German forces.
Another obstacle is the Germany struggle to attract more young people to military service. Berlin has recently passed the Act to improve the pay and working conditions for soldiers located abroad, including those in Lithuania.
The widespread military presence of Germany in Baltics also opened investment opportunities for defense giant Rheinmetall.
Last year, Rheinmetall signed an agreement with the Lithuanian government on the construction of the ammunition production plant in Lithuania, it is expected to produce tens of thousands of artillery bikes every year and create at least 150 new jobs.
The German weapon manufacturer is currently the neighboring Latvia about the establishment of domestic defense, Bloomberg News previously informed.
This article was generated from an automated news agency without text modifications.
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