VILNIUS (dpa-AFX) – Defense Minister Boris Pistorius sees the construction of the planned Bundeswehrbrigade in the NATO partner country Lithuania is on the right track. “The deployment of the brigade is progressing consistently and according to plan,” said the SPD politician during a visit to Vilnius after a meeting with his Lithuanian counterpart Dovile Sakaliene. “We are on schedule.”
Accordingly, in the second quarter of 2025, additional troops with their equipment will follow the advance command already stationed on site and the brigade will be officially put into service. Pistorius emphasized that the aim is to have a brigade staff on site that is capable of command and training over the course of the year.
In response to the changed security situation in Europe and Russia’s aggressive behavior, the Federal Government has agreed to permanently station a combat unit in Lithuania that is ready for combat and able to act independently. The brigade is expected to be operational until 2027.
Lithuania borders the Russian exclave Kaliningrad and Russia’s ally Belarus. The war in Ukraine is seen as a direct threat to national security in the Baltic EU and NATO state./awe/DP/nas