PABRADE/VILNIUS (dpa-AFX) – Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is traveling to Lithuania on Monday to attend an exercise armed forces to watch with the Lithuanian army. During the “Griffin Storm” maneuver, for which 1,000 soldiers from Panzergrenadierbrigade 41 “Vorpommern” were transferred to Lithuania, the defense of NATO’s eastern flank is being trained. The training ground in Pabrade is less than 200 kilometers from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Together with Pistorius, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the ambassadors of the North Atlantic Council, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas will observe the maneuver.
Before visiting the troops, Pistorius and Anusauskas meet in the capital, Vilnius, for talks. The situation in Russia after the abortive uprising of the Wagner mercenaries should also be an issue. The preparations for the NATO summit, which will take place in Vilnius in just under three weeks, will also be discussed. One of the main topics is how Ukraine can be brought closer to NATO.
In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the German government pledged in June 2022 to have a combat troops brigade with around 5,000 soldiers ready to defend Lithuania in the event of an attack. The Panzergrenadierbrigade 41 “Vorpommern” has been available for this purpose since autumn. It is present in Lithuania with a command post and should be able to be transferred to the Baltic country within ten days in the event of a tension. This is now being practiced for the third time./mfi/DP/zb