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6h ago

Germany Launches First Permanent Foreign Troop Deployment Since WWII in Lithuania

The 45th Armoured Brigade, comprising 4,800 soldiers, strengthens NATO's eastern flank as Germany commits to building Europe's strongest conventional army.

Two women in Vilnius, Lithuania, take a selfie near a German tank before the formal inauguration of a German brigade for NATO's eastern flank, May 22.

Overview

  • Germany officially inaugurated its 45th Armoured Brigade in Lithuania on May 22, marking its first permanent foreign troop deployment since World War II.
  • The brigade consists of 4,800 German soldiers and 200 civilian staff, with full operational capacity planned by 2027.
  • The deployment reinforces NATO's eastern flank near Russia's Kaliningrad and Belarus, underlining Germany's heightened security role after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
  • German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized the shared security of Europe and called for allies to invest further in defense capabilities.
  • Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda hailed the deployment as a 'historic day,' with 85% of Lithuanians supporting the move as part of a strengthened bilateral partnership.