Germany deploys permanent troops to another country for the first time since World War II

GERMAN: Chancellor Friedrich Merz inaugurated a groundbreaking German brigade in Lithuania that is meant to help protect NATO’s eastern flank and declared Thursday that “the security of our Baltic allies is also our security” as worries about Russian aggression persist.

He said Berlin’s strengthening of its own military sends a signal to its allies to invest in security.

The stationing in Lithuania marks the first time that a German brigade is being based outside Germany on a long-term basis since World War II. “This is a historic day,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said after meeting Merz. “This is a day of trust, responsibility and action.”

German brigade to be at full strength in 2027

Germany has had troops in Lithuania — which borders Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and Moscow-allied Belarus — since 2017, as part of efforts to secure NATO’s eastern fringe, but the new brigade deepens its engagement significantly.

An advance party started work on setting it up just over a year ago and expanded into an “activation staff” of about 250 people last fall. The 45 Armored Brigade is expected to be up to its full strength of about 5,000 by the end of 2027, with troops stationed at Rukla and Rudninkai.

Dozens of military helicopters roared over the central cathedral square in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, as the inauguration wrapped up on a rainy Thursday afternoon, with hundreds of troops and spectators attending. Merz told the event that “protecting Vilnius is protecting Berlin.”

The deployment in Lithuania has been taking shape as Germany works to strengthen its military overall after years of neglect as NATO members scramble to increase defense spending, spurred by worries about further potential Russian aggression and pressure from Washington.