Moscow: Sending German soldiers to Lithuania is a threat to Russia
The Kremlin said Monday that sending German soldiers to Lithuania escalates tensions in the region, creates a threat to Russia, and requires special security measures.
The German army began implementing the mission of deploying thousands of soldiers in Lithuania, whose territory forms part of the northeastern borders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as part of the alliance’s preparations for any possible attack.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in a press statement that completing the mission and deploying all 4,800 soldiers will continue until 2027, adding that success in this requires making changes on the ground and providing the necessary infrastructure for the soldiers and their families.
This comes after the German government recently approved the first permanent deployment of German forces outside its territory since World War II, in line with the security changes imposed by the Russian-Ukrainian war on Europe.
Several hundred German soldiers have been stationed in Lithuania since 2017 in the city of Rukla, where Germany leads a NATO battle group, which currently includes about 1,600 soldiers, about half of whom are from the German army.
The countries of the Baltic region have repeatedly announced that they intend to permanently deploy additional NATO forces in their territories for the purpose of strengthening the eastern side of the NATO alliance.
