Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a military training area near Vilnius on Monday, where he called for the faster arrival of German troops to the country.
"I am pleased with the progress of the brigade's deployment, but our strategic security environment requires an even faster pace. We do not have the luxury of wasting a single minute," he told reporters, saying that the German brigade should deploy sooner than planned.
Discussions on the deployment of a German brigade in Lithuania started after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Berlin announced its concrete commitment in June 2023. The brigade's initial command element, about 20 military personnel, arrived in Lithuania last month.
In total, around 5,000 military and civilian personnel are expected to come to Lithuania by the end of 2027. Lithuania estimates that investment in military and training infrastructure necessary for hosting the German brigade could reach around 800 million euros.
Germany has previously said that the pace of its deployment would depend on Lithuania's readiness to create the necessary conditions to host the troops and their families.
On Monday, Scholz said Berlin's commitment to Lithuania was part of Germany's changing security policy.
"Germany recognises its security responsibilities within NATO, which is why we are deploying a full brigade here in Lithuania as a credible German contribution to deter any threat on NATO territory," he said.
Bundeswehr's large-scale Exercise Grand Quadriga 2024 is now taking place in Lithuania, which includes more than 3,000 German troops and dozens of tanks and armoured fighting vehicles redeploying to Pabradė and Kazlų Ruda training area in southwestern Lithuania.
"This exercise is a demonstration of the Bundeswehr's capability, and it’s the biggest exercise since the Cold War," Scholz said. "Germany is investing heavily in the Bundeswehr for the security and protection of our country and NATO, and we have chosen this security path with determination and we intend to continue on it because security does not come for free. We have set ourselves the task of equipping our troops and preparing them as well as possible."
Scholz is also scheduled to visit German troops stationed in Lithuania as part of NATO's multinational battalion in Rukla, another military base in central Lithuania. The German-led unit, deployed in Lithuania in 2017, is expected to be integrated into the brigade in 2026.
Later on Monday, the German chancellor will head to Riga, where he will meet with the prime ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Tallinn hosted the 3+1 format meeting of the Baltic and German heads of government last year.
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