Overview

• Mayor Valdas Benkunskas said Friedrich Merz’s line, “Der Schutz von Vilnius ist der Schutz von Berlin,” will be added to the facade later this year.
• Merz delivered the sentence in May during the activation ceremony for the German brigade stationed in Lithuania.
• Germany decided to base a permanent, combat-ready unit in the NATO ally in response to the threat from Russia.
• The unit was formally commissioned as Panzerbrigade 45 on April 1 and is planned to reach about 4,800 soldiers plus roughly 200 civilian Bundeswehr staff.
• Vilnius City Hall already bears a quotation from former U.S. President George W. Bush.