On April 8, local time, Germany sent an advance team of 20 Bundeswehr soldiers to Lithuania to make relevant preparations for the selection of camps for the long-term garrison of German troops in Lithuania in the future. German Defense Minister Pistorius said on the same day that this was an important day for NATO and its defense capability.
German Defense Minister Pistorius: This is an important day for the Bundeswehr, this is the first time that we have a permanent presence of troops outside of Germany, and it is also a big day for NATO and its alliance defense capability.
It is reported that this group of personnel arrived in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, on the 8th.
Press Secretary of the President of Russia: The presence of German troops in Lithuania will increase tensions
In this regard, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on the 8th that Germany's military presence in Lithuania will increase regional tensions.
Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov: This will have negative consequences, exacerbate escalating tensions, create dangerous hotbeds in our border areas. This, of course, will allow the Russian side to take special measures to ensure its own security.
Lithuania is located on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordering Belarus to the east. Russia and Belarus have repeatedly accused NATO's eastward expansion of causing regional tensions and posing a security threat to both countries.
After the escalation of the crisis in Ukraine, the German government had promised to keep a combat brigade on standby inside Germany in case of a possible attack on Lithuania. Lithuania, for its part, demanded a permanent presence of German troops in Lithuania. In June last year, German Defense Minister Pistorius said during his visit to Lithuania that Germany intends to permanently station an army brigade of at least 4,000 people in Lithuania on the premise that the necessary infrastructure is in place. In November last year, the German Ministry of Defense issued a statement saying that Germany would send two additional tank battalions to Lithuania to form a new force with the NATO multinational force already stationed in Lithuania. The new force is expected to have 4,800 military personnel and will be completed by 2025. (Reporter Tao Ye)