A new agreement between Germany and Lithuania will lead to German troops’ first permanent foreign deployment since World War II.
The announcement was made Monday in Lithuania, where Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas met with his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, to outline a multiyear “Roadmap Action Plan” involving approximately 4,800 permanently stationed German soldiers.
Both officials called the move a historical moment not just for their nations but for NATO as well. German troops, including those with families, will be stationed in the Lithuanian cities of Kaunas and Vilnius beginning in 2024, with most troops deployed in 2025 and 2026 and full-operation capability expected by 2027.
In turn, Lithuania has committed to providing all necessary civilian and military infrastructure. The agreement was originally announced in June, but no timeline was presented at that time.
“The German commitment of permanently stationing a brigade in Lithuania is a historical step for both Germany and Lithuania,” Anusauskas said Monday, according to a press release. “We are turning over to a page of even deeper strategic partnership.”
He went on: “The German Brigade will significantly increase our defensive potential and enhance NATO deterrence and collective defense. The Roadmap signed today lays out in detail the track we and Germany will take to implement it.”
