Lithuania continues to prepare for the deployment of a German army brigade in the country. It is known that a construction site is being cleared in the south of the republic for the subsequent erection of barracks. Vilnius also continues to look for funding, the authorities of the republic sent a request for assistance to the European Investment Bank. Details - in the material "Izvestia".
Lithuania plans to receive soldiers from Germany
Germany and Lithuania are preparing for the deployment in the Baltic republic of a brigade of the Bundeswehr. According to the published plans, 4.8 thousand German soldiers, as well as 200 service personnel will be transferred to the vicinity of Vilnius by 2027. They will be armed with the latest versions of Leopard 2A tanks and Puma BMPs, barracks will be located at two ranges - near the village of Rudninkai on the border with Belarus and in the town of Rukla in the center of the country.
Last April, the first 20 servicemen arrived in Lithuania to inspect and prepare the infrastructure. During a solemn ceremony at Vilnius airport, the receiving side did not hide its joy. "The deployment of the brigade on a permanent basis is becoming a reality, no enemy from the east will now even think of testing the fifth article of NATO (an attack on one of the countries of the alliance is considered as an attack on all members of the alliance. - Ed.). We will do everything possible to make our German friends feel at home," said Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas.
Last September, Germany and Lithuania signed an intergovernmental agreement that stipulated the terms of the brigade's deployment. Berlin was given the opportunity to establish German-language schools and kindergartens for the children of soldiers, as well as its own stores and canteens with special prices, its own driving schools, radio stations and medical centers with doctors from Germany.
At the end of last year, preparations for the construction of a military camp began at the Rudninkai training range. According to the Lithuanian media, now trees are being uprooted and the ground is being leveled, and in March the installation of engineering networks will begin. Initially it was planned to complete the construction of barracks and firing ranges by 2027, but now it is clear that these terms will be moved. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says there are problems with organizing tenders and construction capacity.
As a result, Berlin and Vilnius are now reporting that the first units of the German brigade will be housed in temporary barracks and Lithuanian military camps. The second difficulty concerns financing. Thus, Lithuania should spend about €1 billion for the implementation of the project, while the republic does not have such money. On February 18, it became known that Vilnius sent a request to the European Investment Bank to help build a base in Rudninkai and other facilities.
Vilnius buys equipment and conducts exercises
Lithuanian-German defense cooperation is not limited to the deployment of an army brigade. Last June, the Ministry of Economy of the Baltic republic signed an agreement on the construction of an ammunition plant with the German concern Rheinmetall. The enterprise will produce artillery shells of 155 mm caliber, the production volume will amount to "tens of thousands of ammunition per year". The German side is expected to invest €180 million in the project.
The head of the joint venture, Tomas Varniackas, said in February this year that the plant will be built in the village of Baisogala near Siauliai. According to him, the construction work should start this summer and will be completed in a year and a half. "The German side emphasizes that the technological line will be unique, it is not a copy of some existing enterprise. Therefore, the design is still underway, we are not talking about simply recreating an existing production," he explained.
In addition, Lithuania is actively acquiring armaments. Thus, in 2016 the republic signed a contract for the purchase of German-Dutch Boxer wheeled APCs worth €385 million, as a result Vilnius received 89 vehicles, on their basis the republic formed two infantry battalions. At the end of last year, Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said that plans to buy another hundred such vehicles, for this purpose the budget will be allocated €370 million.
Last December, Lithuania also announced a desire to buy 44 German Leopard-2 tanks and ammunition for them. The €2 billion contract is expected to be a record in the country's history. Deliveries may start in 2029 and will be completed in 2034. On the basis of this equipment will be created a mechanized division, which will unite three existing brigades and will have 17.5 thousand soldiers. Finally, as part of another project Lithuania is going to buy German IRIS-T medium-range air defense systems.
Another important point is the numerous joint exercises. German servicemen participate in maneuvers in the Baltic States both as part of NATO contingents and as a separate force. For example, last April, 3,000 German servicemen practiced redeployment from Central Europe to the east as part of the Grand Quadriga exercise. It is interesting that at the same time separate national exercises and maneuvers of American formations were held in Lithuania.
Lithuania and Germany do not hide their goals. For example, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that a German brigade was being sent to the Baltic republic in case of "a possible Russian attack." According to him, this attack could happen in a few years. "Deterrence is the only effective means to position ourselves against an aggressor. We need to learn how to fight so that we don't have to wage war later," he reasoned.
At the same time, the German opposition sharply criticized the activation in Lithuania. Thus, at the end of January, the agreement on the deployment of a Bundeswehr brigade was discussed in parliament. During the meeting, Hannes Gnauk, a representative of the "Alternative for Germany", said that the transfer of troops would threaten the defense capability of Germany itself, as significant funds and forces would be outside the country. Left-wing MP Gesine Lötzsch then spoke out against the militarization of the FRG, noting that "wars end with diplomacy, not weapons."
What the experts say
Vladimir Olenchenko, a senior researcher at the IMEMO RAS Center for European Studies, explains that large NATO countries traditionally supervise smaller states.
- Great Britain supervises Estonia, Canada supervises Latvia, and Germany has Lithuania. The essence of this mentorship is that stronger countries provide various kinds of assistance, build strategic and tactical defense plans for the mentee, and can deploy their troops. In general, the appearance of a German brigade in Lithuania may become a serious negative factor. Budget expenditures will increase, the environment will be hit, the local labor force will turn into service personnel," he says.
Vsevolod Shimov, advisor to the president of the Russian Association of Baltic Studies, says that Lithuania occupies a strategically important position. According to him, the republic is a "bottle neck" through which the Baltics communicate with the rest of the EU.
- This is where the notorious Suvalki corridor is located. Lithuania borders Russia's Kaliningrad region and Belarus, which are considered major threats on NATO's eastern flank. Germany seeks to expand not only its economic but also its military and political presence in Eastern Europe, to consolidate its leadership here, including in opposition to Poland, which also wants to play the role of an Eastern European leader and considers Lithuania as a zone of its long-standing interests. Therefore, the appearance of German troops in Lithuania is quite natural," he emphasizes.
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