German Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, warned about the dangers of Russian rearmament in a speech before the Lithuanian parliament on Thursday.
“We are witnessing how Russia is rapidly ramping up its weapons production and dramatically building up its armed forces.
All of this leaves no doubt: For Russia, for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Ukraine is only the beginning, the Social Democrat politician said in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.
He also assured that German armed forces are ready to become a central pillar of European conventional deterrence and defence.
In this context, he highlighted the role as a hub to quickly move troops from the Atlantic to NATO’s eastern flank.
The German government has promised NATO partner Lithuania that it would permanently station a combat-ready and autonomous combat unit in Lithuania.
This brigade is scheduled to be operational by 2027.
The brigade’s formation is a response to Russia’s war against Ukraine and reflects the changed security situation in Europe.
A permanent presence of up to 5,000 soldiers is planned, with their permanent locations to be the small communities of Rūdninkai and Rukla in Lithuania.
Initially, an interim solution in Lithuanian barracks near the capital Vilnius is to be implemented.
There have repeatedly been doubts about whether Lithuania is on schedule with its preparations. (dpa/NAN)
