By Shane Croucher is a Breaking News Editor based in London, UK. He has previously overseen the My Turn, Fact Check and News teams, and was a Senior Reporter before that, mostly covering U.S. news and politics. Shane joined Newsweek in February 2018 from IBT UK where he held various editorial roles covering different beats, including general news, politics, economics, business, and property. He is a graduate of the University of Lincoln, England. Languages: English. You can reach Shane by emailing s.croucher@newsweek.com Writers Page Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular the war started by Moscow. He also covers other areas of geopolitics including China. Brendan joined Newsweek in 2018 from the International Business Times and well as English, knows Russian and French. You can get in touch with Brendan by emailing b.cole@newsweek.com or follow on him on his X account @brendanmarkcole.
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Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, said its troops would be stationed along NATO's eastern flank in Lithuania, and the unit will be fully operational by 2027. This marks the first time soldiers from the country will be on a permanent foreign deployment since World War II.
"We have a clear mission. We have to ensure the protection, freedom and security of our Lithuanian allies here on NATO's eastern flank," said Brigadier General Christoph Huber, commander of the German brigade in the NATO ally.
Germany had previously deployed troops to Afghanistan, though not permanently.
Newsweek reached out to NATO for comment.
Why It Matters
Lithuania borders Moscow's ally Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which would likely be the location of any future hostilities between Moscow and the alliance.
The Baltic States, which Moscow controlled in Soviet times, have said that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not intend to stop his expansionism in Ukraine. Berlin and Vilnius's move is the most direct response to that concern so far.
What To Know
A multiyear Roadmap Action Plan between Germany and Lithuania was agreed in December 2023.
Back then, both countries hailed the deal as a historic moment for them and NATO, as a move to bolster the alliance's eastern flank in response to Russia's aggression.
The plan was to station thousands of combat-ready soldiers in the Baltic Country by 2027 in Berlin's first permanent foreign deployment since World War II. Germany did send a temporary deployment to Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021.
The newly created 45th Armored Brigade, the German military's lobbying group, was activated during a ceremony outside the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, the Bundeswehr said in a statement.
A temporary headquarters has been established for the unit, which is under the command of Brigadier General Christoph Huber. Huber commands around 150 troops, which are expected to grow to 500 by the end of 2025.
Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND) and armed forces believe Moscow is preparing for a major war with NATO, the German publication Bild reported last week.
What People Are Saying
Brigadier General Christoph Huber, in a statement: "We have a clear mission. We have to ensure the protection, freedom and security of our Lithuanian allies here on NATO's eastern flank."
What Happens Next
The brigade will be operational by 2027 and will have a permanent presence of up to 5,000 soldiers. They will mainly be based in a barracks complex with a military training area in Rudninkai, 20 miles south of Vilnius, which has yet to be built. Until then, troops will operate out of temporary bases in Lithuania.
Update 4/1/25, 11 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
