Lithuania’s Chief of Defence Valdemaras Rupšys says there is a consensus between him and political leaders that Vilnius should seek a physical deployment of Germany’s brigade in the country.
Rupšys was speaking to reporters after Thursday’s meeting with members of the parliamentary committees on foreign affairs and national security and defence, and the leadership of the ruling TS-LKD party (Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats).
“The purpose of the meeting was [...] to coordinate our positions on the deployment of the brigade and communication,” the chief of defence said.
“Our positions are [...] one hundred percent aligned, I believe. I explained how we understand the deployment and how our German colleagues understand it. We agreed that we will communicate and look at the process in the same way,” he said.
“There is a common Lithuanian ambition to have that brigade [here],” Rupšys said when asked if he was talking about a brigade stationed in Lithuania.
A joint communiqué signed by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and German Chancellor Olaf Schulz in June said that “in addition to the current and reinforced enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group already in place, Germany is ready to lead a robust and combat-ready brigade in Lithuania dedicated to deter and defend against Russian aggression”.
Germany has so far only deployed the brigade’s forward command element to Lithuania, but Vilnius wants a full rotational German brigade to be permanently stationed in the country.
However, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said last week that part of the brigade promised by Berlin would be deployed in Lithuania and the rest would stay at home. She said this is what the Lithuanian and German leaders agreed on in June.
Nausėda’s office and Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė take the position that the countries’ leaders agreed on the brigade’s physical deployment in Lithuania.
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