Merz Warns of Russia Threat in Visit to NATO's Eastern Flank

The decision to build up a 5,000-strong armored brigade in Lithuania over the coming years came in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

"There is a threat to us all from Russia," Merz told reporters in the capital Vilnius. "We are protecting ourselves against this threat, and that is why we are here today."

The German deployment is aimed at deterring potential Russian aggression towards Lithuania and fellow Baltic countries Estonia and Latvia, former Soviet republics that have become NATO and EU members and fear they are increasingly in Moscow's crosshairs.

While Germany has joined multinational military missions, including in Afghanistan and Mali, a pacifist tradition stemming from its dark World War II history meant Berlin was generally reluctant to do more.

The establishment of a permanent brigade overseas is an unprecedented move for the Bundeswehr, as the German armed forces are known, in the post-war era.

Merz, who became chancellor this month, participated in a ceremony in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius that officially marked the formation of the heavy combat unit, the 45th tank brigade, also known as the "Lithuania Brigade."

This will be an "important milestone on the path to the permanent stationing of a German brigade on NATO's eastern flank," deputy government spokesman Steffen Meyer said last week.

The brigade, to consist of around 4,800 troops and 200 civilian Bundeswehr employees, will be gradually deployed over the coming years and should reach full operational capability by 2027.

An advance party of around 400 Bundeswehr personnel are already in the country, according to the Defense Ministry.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda hailed Merz's visit as a sign of Berlin's "commitment to strengthen the deterrence and defense of our country and the entire NATO eastern flank."

Merz, who has vowed to build up Europe's "strongest conventional army" by ramping up defense spending, will be keen to use the trip to highlight that Berlin is taking on a bigger role on the international stage amid dizzying political upheavals.

U.S. President Donald Trump has heaped pressure on fellow NATO members to increase defense spending, sparked fears about American commitment to Europe, and caused shock with his overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin as he pushes for a Ukraine peace deal.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who joined Merz on the visit, said last month that the Lithuanian deployment "sends a strong message of solidarity and readiness."

"Germany is stepping up," he added during events to mark the 70th anniversary of Germany joining the 32-member NATO military alliance.

Source: HDN