On December 18, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his Lithuanian counterpart Arvydas Anušauskas signed an agreement to permanently station 4,800 German soldiers and 200 civilian personnel in Lithuania. The troops will be stationed near Lithuania's second-largest city, Kaunas, and near the capital Vilnius in Rukla and Rudninkai, close to the Suwalki Corridor, a potential flashpoint for conflict between Russia and NATO. The area also includes Russia's only overseas exclave, Kaliningrad, making it strategically significant for both Russia and NATO.
As a defeated nation in World War II, Germany was restricted by the Allies from possessing offensive weapons and could only form armed forces for defensive purposes. Pistorius described the deployment of troops in Lithuania as a "historic moment," marking the first time since World War II that Germany has permanently stationed troops abroad. Germany's prominent advancement of its military presence in Lithuania is seen as a highlight of its defense strategy transformation, with potential future military interventions in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region not ruled out.
Nearly two years into the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Lithuania, a NATO member, shares borders with Russia's exclave, Ukraine, and Belarus, and faces high risks from the conflict's spillover. Germany's military action is seen as a reassurance for Lithuania.
Pistorius and Anušauskas emphasized during a press conference on December 18 that both countries are committed to defending each other and every inch of NATO territory, based on the Washington Treaty. Article 5 of the treaty states that an armed attack against one or more NATO members is considered an attack against the entire organization.
The troops to be deployed to Lithuania belong to the 42nd Armored Brigade, including a portion from the 203rd Armored Battalion based in Augustdorf, northern Germany, equipped with Leopard 2 tanks. The Leopard 2 is renowned as the strongest Western main battle tank, capable of striking targets within 5 kilometers. However, since all Leopard 2 tanks have been provided to Ukraine, the battalion might be deployed to Lithuania without its main battle systems. Germany is currently accelerating the production of Leopard 2 tanks.
The first batch of the 42nd Armored Brigade will begin deployment next year, with the entire brigade expected to be fully deployed by 2027. The brigade's monthly maintenance costs in Germany range between 25 to 30 million euros. Until 2027, the brigade will primarily rely on a special 100 billion euro defense fund from Germany. After the exhaustion of this fund by 2027, Germany will need to devise a new funding plan to maintain the brigade's expenses.
According to the agreement announced by Germany and Lithuania on December 18, Lithuania will provide necessary military and civilian infrastructure for the 42nd Armored Brigade. Lithuania is expected to spend about 0.3% of its GDP to prepare for the brigade's arrival. Lithuania will also ensure that the stationed German military personnel and their families receive education, medical, and other services in their native language.
