“Continued presence of Germany and other NATO allies in Lithuania is our key security guarantor. We are grateful to Germany for the timely decisions to send the reinforcement to Lithuania, that demonstrates NATO unity and solidarity and sends a clear signal– additional forces can arrive in Lithuania extremely fast. It presents a god example for other countries too,” Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas said on February 22 meeting Minister of Defence of Germany Christine Lambrecht visiting Lithuania.
Ministers discussed the degrading security situation – a result of the concentration of Russian military forces around Ukraine and in Belarus. According to A. Anušauskas, the alliance needed to take into account the massive force imbalance near Lithuania’s borders and carry on with strengthening deterrence and defence in the eastern flank. Minister underscored that Russia was a long-term security and military threat, and the Russian forces in Belarus was a game changer in the security situation that cut the notice time. That is why Lithuania was particularly grateful to Germany for the rapid response by deploying the reinforcement to the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group.
This visit to the German troops deployed to Rukla is the second visit by Federal Minister of Defence Christine Lambrecht to Lithuania in two months, the first one took place last year in late December. The present meeting with A. Anušauskas focussed on NATO and EU agendas, Lithuania’s national measures for strengthening security and international deployments.
Germany has been the framework nation and largest force contributor to the NATO eFP Battle Group Lithuania since its establishment in 2017. Approx. 600 troops in the 11th rotation of the multinational NATO eFP Battle Group serving from early February and initially approx. 1,200-strong, are deployed by Germany. The country has also recently sent in additional 350 troops in response to the increasingly aggressive Russian military activity by the Ukrainian borders and deteriorating security environment in the Baltics.
Norway followed suit with deployment of additional 60 Norwegian military personnel to Rukla. The NATO eFP is currently manned by Belgian, Czech, Luxembourgese and Dutch military personnel, aside from the German and Norwegian.
Germany is one of Lithuania key allies in security and defence. It contributes significantly to the development of the Lithuanian defensive capabilities and is a long-standing and close Lithuania’s partner on modernization the Lithuanian Armed Forces, weaponry and equipment. Germany not only leads the NATO eFP Battle Group but also actively participates in the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states. Germany has also recently become the main partner of Lithuania in international operations in Mali and the Mediterranean.
Photo credits: Sgt 1st Class A. Čemerka
