Chancellor Olaf Scholz assured NATO partners in the Baltic Sea region of Germany’s reliable military defense support during a visit to the region on Monday.
“Germany stands firmly on the side of the Baltic states,” said Scholz in Pabradė, Lithuania, where he visited Bundeswehr soldiers.
Germany’s commitment to the Bundeswehr is serious, he added, pointing to the country’s commitment to stand alongside NATO. “And that means that we protect each other and that all states can rely on us to defend every inch of their territory.”
Scholz’s trip underscores the strategic importance of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The three NATO and EU countries are among Kiev’s most ardent supporters and fear that the Kremlin’s military aggression will not stop at Ukraine. They all border Russia and were once part of the Soviet Union.
Given this new reality on NATO’s eastern flank, Germany is preparing to deploy a permanent Bundeswehr brigade with around 4,800 soldiers in Lithuania. The goal is for the unit to reach full combat readiness by 2027.
A temporary detachment has arrived. Soldiers from the Bundeswehr’s 10th Armored Division are currently taking part in a major NATO exercise in Lithuania.
Scholz met Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda at the Pabradė military training area. He plans to travel on to the Latvian capital Riga, where he will meet with the prime ministers of the three Baltic states.
The talks with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė will focus, among other things, on security and defense policy issues.
A joint press conference is expected in the early evening.
The permanent stationing of the brigade in Lithuania is progressing quickly, said Scholz. This is the most important sign “that this is important to us and that it will now succeed.”
Germany is investing massively in expanding its defense capabilities, said Scholz. “This is also linked to the decision that investments in the Bundeswehr will make up 2% of our economic output in the long term and year after year. That was successful this year and will not change this year either.”
He emphasized the importance of further military aid to Ukraine, particularly for air defense against Russian attacks.
The fact that Germany is providing Ukraine with a third Patriot air defense system should serve as an example to others, he said. This is “also the desire to signal to the others that they are also taking part, because we will not be able to wait until new systems are produced.”
Scholz said: “We have to ensure that Ukraine is provided with more air defense options from the existing stocks.”
