Merz to visit Lithuania as Germany helps bolster Nato's eastern flank
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will participate in a ceremony in Lithuania's capital Vilnius to officially mark the formation of the heavy combat unit. (EPA Images pic)
FRANKFURT : Chancellor Friedrich Merz visits Lithuania today to mark the official formation of Germany's first permanent overseas military unit since WWII, aimed at bolstering Nato's eastern flank against a hostile Russia.
The decision to build up a 5,000-strong armoured brigade in Lithuania over the coming years came in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The deployment is aimed at deterring potential Russian aggression towards Lithuania and fellow Baltic countries Estonia and Latvia, former Soviet states that have become Nato and EU members and fear they are increasingly in Moscow's crosshairs.
While Germany has joined multinational military missions, including in Afghanistan and Mali, a pacifist tradition stemming from its dark WWII history meant Berlin was generally reluctant to do more.
The establishment of a permanent brigade overseas is thus an unprecedented move for the Bundeswehr, as the German armed forces are known, in the post-war era.
Merz, who became chancellor this month, will participate in a ceremony in the capital Vilnius that officially marks the formation of the heavy combat unit, the 45th tank brigade, also known as the 'Lithuania Brigade'.
This will be an 'important milestone on the path to the permanent stationing of a German brigade on Nato's eastern flank', deputy government spokesman Steffen Meyer said last week.
The brigade, to consist of around 4,800 troops and 200 civilian Bundeswehr employees, will be gradually deployed over the coming years and should reach full operational capability by 2027.
An advance party of around 400 Bundeswehr personnel are already in the country, according to the defence ministry.
Bigger role
Merz, who has vowed to build up Europe's 'strongest conventional army' by ramping up defence spending, will be keen to use the trip to highlight that Berlin is taking on a bigger role on the international stage amid dizzying political upheavals.
US President Donald Trump has heaped pressure on fellow Nato members to increase defence spending, sparked fears about American commitment to Europe, and caused shock with his overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin as he pushes for a swift Ukraine peace deal.
German defence minister Boris Pistorius, who will join Merz on the visit, said last month that the Lithuanian deployment 'sends a strong message of solidarity and readiness'.
'Germany is stepping up,' he added during events to mark the 70th anniversary of Germany joining the 32-member Nato military alliance.
Merz is also due to meet Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda during his visit, with shared concern about Russia likely to dominate talks.
Lithuania, with a population of 2.8 million, borders both the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Moscow's ally Belarus, and the German defence ministry considers it to be 'the most endangered state on Nato's eastern flank'.
Growing hostility
There have been signs of Russia ramping up hostile activities, with Moscow frequently accused of using 'hybrid warfare' tactics in the Baltic Sea.
Earlier this month a Russian spy plane was spotted in Belarus apparently attempting to observe a multinational Nato military exercise in Lithuania, news outlet Der Spiegel reported.
But Germany's troop deployment is not without its difficulties.
Some question whether the Bundeswehr, suffering from personnel and equipment shortages after years of underfunding, is prepared for what the defence ministry describes as 'one of the most complex and ambitious projects' in its history.
While Germany has been seeking to channel more funds to the military, new equipment will take years to order and produce.
Meanwhile the Bundeswehr, which is aiming to boost its number of soldiers to 203,000 by 2031, has been struggling to recruit.
Parliament in January passed a law aimed at making the military a more attractive career, including more flexible working arrangements and greater financial incentives.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
34 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Volkswagen flags ‘massive' US investments and says tariff talks constructive
German carmakers, including Volkswagen, were in talks with Washington over a possible import tariff deal. (EPA Images pic) BERLIN : Volkswagen wants to make more big investments in the US, CEO Oliver Blume said in an interview with a German newspaper today, adding that tariff talks with the US government were 'fair' and 'constructive'. Several foreign companies have announced US investments in response to President Donald Trump's import tariffs, but German carmakers have been more cautious about committing more resources to what is their biggest export market. Volkswagen's Audi brand, which has no production in the US, is planning to produce some models there, although the brand has said that the plan pre-dates the Trump administration. 'So far, we have had absolutely fair, constructive discussions,' Blume told Sueddeutsche Zeitung. 'I was in Washington myself and we have been in regular dialogue ever since,' he said. Blume, who also leads Porsche AG as CEO, said Volkswagen's main contact in Washington was US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, adding he had agreed to keep any details of the discussions confidential. Sources told Reuters earlier this week that German carmakers including Volkswagen were in talks with Washington over a possible import tariff deal, seeking to use their US investments and exports as leverage to soften any blow. Trump's trade war has cost companies more than US$34 billion in lost sales and higher costs, according to a Reuters analysis of corporate disclosures, with companies pursuing various strategies to cope. Most of the tariffs were blocked by a US trade court this week, but a federal appeals court has temporarily reinstated them to consider the Trump administration's appeal against the trade court's ruling. The 25% tariff imposed on auto imports earlier this year has not been affected by the rulings. Uncertainty worse than tariffs In a recent survey by Germany's Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers Association (VDMA), nearly three quarters of participants said uncertainty over US trade policy had a strong impact on companies' competitiveness, while just 43% said the same for the 10% tariffs slapped on goods from most US trading partners. 'The uncertainty surrounding the US tariffs is causing more problems in our sector than the tariffs themselves,' Andrew Adair, VDMA's trade policy adviser for North America, told Reuters. 'Uncertainty causes customers to delay purchasing decisions—including American companies that are motivated to purchase machinery to ramp up their local production,' Adair said. Asked what Blume was offering in the talks, which aim to reduce the 25% autos levy, he said, 'The Volkswagen Group wants to invest further in the US. We have a growth strategy'. Blume said the Volkswagen Group already employed over 20,000 people directly and over 55,000 people indirectly in the US, and highlighted a US$5.8 billion investment in US company Rivian. 'We would build on this with further, massive investments,' Blume said. Such investments should be factored into any decisions regarding tariffs, added Blume, who said he hoped Brussels and Washington would reach a broad deal for all industries. Blume declined to say when a deal with Washington could be struck, when asked about BMW CEO Oliver Zipse's assessment that tariffs would likely fall from July. 'Of course, I also want it to happen quickly. But it depends on many factors and I can't promise anything,' he said.
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Ukraine keeps Russia guessing over participation in June 2 peace talks
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan meets Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich KYIV/MOSCOW (Reuters) -Ukraine on Friday resisted pressure from Moscow and Washington to commit itself to attending peace talks with Russia on June 2, saying it first needed to see the proposals Russian negotiators plan to bring to the talks. After U.S. President Donald Trump urged Moscow and Kyiv to work together on a peace deal to end their three-year-old war, Russia proposed sitting down with Ukrainian officials next week in Istanbul. Kyiv responded by saying it was committed in principle to the search for peace, but that it was waiting for a memorandum from the Russian side setting out their proposals, which it had still not received. "We are ready for dialogue, but we demand clarity - clear and, most importantly, balanced proposals," the Ukrainian president's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said in remarks aired on national television. The war, the biggest on the European continent since World War Two, began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Expectations for the talks are modest because the positions staked out so far by the two sides are far apart and work between them has yet to begin in earnest on narrowing the gap. Nevertheless, both Kyiv and Moscow are keen to demonstrate to Trump that they are on board with his efforts to end the conflict. Kyiv is seeking more U.S. military aid, while Moscow hopes he will ease economic sanctions on Russia. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian delegation would be travelling to Istanbul and would be ready for talks with Ukraine on Monday morning. "At the moment, everyone is focused on the direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations. A list of conditions for a temporary truce is being developed," Peskov told reporters. Reuters reported earlier this week that Putin's conditions for ending the war in Ukraine include a demand that Western leaders pledge in writing to stop enlarging NATO eastwards. Trump's envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said earlier on Friday that Russia's concern over the eastward enlargement of NATO was fair and the United States did not want to see Ukraine in the U.S.-led military alliance. Commenting on Kellogg's statement, Peskov said: "We are pleased that these explanations by the president are understood, including in Washington." TURKISH HOSTS Turkey's government hosted a previous round of Ukrainian-Russian talks in Istanbul on May 16 -- which ended with no breakthrough -- and has again offered its services as a mediator. Speaking on a visit to Kyiv, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters: "As long as (the sides) remain at the negotiating table, progress can surely be seen." If the talks go ahead in Istanbul, the next step would be to try to host a meeting between Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, he added. But Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who appeared alongside Fidan at a news conference, sounded a note of caution. "In order for the next planned meeting to be substantive and meaningful, it is important to receive a document in advance so that the delegation that will attend has the authority to discuss the relevant positions," Sybiha said. Sybiha did not spell out what Kyiv would do if it did not receive the Russian document, or set out a deadline for receiving it. "We want to end this war this year, and we are interested in establishing a truce, whether it is for 30 days, or for 50 days, or for 100 days," he said. Zelenskiy was later shown meeting and shaking hands with Fidan in Kyiv in footage released by the Turkish foreign ministry. Russia has said its delegation at the Istanbul talks will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, a Kremlin aide who led the Russian team at the previous round of talks. (Additional reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu, Anna Pruchnicka and Tom Balmforth; Editing by Ros Russell)
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Turkey proposes to host Trump-Putin-Zelensky summit
KYIV: Turkey on Friday proposed hosting a summit with the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and the United States as it strives to broker an elusive deal to end Russia's three-year invasion -- an invitation swiftly dismissed by the Kremlin. Moscow said it was sending a team of negotiators to Istanbul for a second round of direct talks with Ukraine on Monday -- though Kyiv has yet to confirm if it will attend. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has fostered warm relations with both Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, has become a key mediator amid Donald Trump's push for a deal to end the over three-year war. 'We sincerely think that it is possible to cap the first and second direct Istanbul talks with a meeting between Mr. Trump, Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelensky, under the direction of Mr. Erdogan,' Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said during a visit to Kyiv. The Kremlin pushed back against the idea of a face-to-face meeting involving Putin and Zelensky. 'First, results must be achieved through direct negotiations between the two countries,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Fidan met Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga in Kyiv and was due to meet Zelensky later in the day. He held talks with Putin in Moscow earlier this week. Ukraine has said it is open to further negotiations, but has not confirmed it will be in Istanbul on Monday. At talks in Istanbul on May 16 -- the first in over three years -- the sides agree to swap documents outlining possible roadmaps to peace. The Kremlin repeated Friday that it would hand over its version at the talks on Monday, but Kyiv is pressuring Moscow to send a copy in advance. - 'Disregard for diplomacy' - Ukraine has for more than two months been urging Russia to agree to a full, unconditional and immediate 30-day ceasefire -- an idea first proposed by Trump. Putin has repeatedly rejected those calls, despite pressure from Washington and Europe, while the Russian army has intensified its advances in eastern Ukraine. He has said that a ceasefire is possible as a result of negotiations, but that talks should focus on the 'root causes' of the war. Moscow typically uses that language to refer to a mix of sweeping demands that have at times included limiting Ukraine's military, banning it from joining NATO, massive territorial concessions and the toppling of Zelensky. Kyiv and the West have rejected those calls and cast Russia's assault as nothing but an imperial-style land grab. Russia's invasion in February 2022 triggered the biggest European conflict since World War II. Tens of thousands have been killed, swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine destroyed and millions forced to flee their homes. Trump has been growing increasingly frustrated at both Zelensky and Putin for not having struck a deal yet. At a UN Security Council meeting Thursday a US diplomat reaffirmed that Washington could pull back from peace efforts if it does not see progress soon. Despite the sides having held their first peace talks in more than three years, there has been little sign of movement towards a possible compromise agreement. At the talks earlier in May, Ukraine said Russia threatened to accelerate its ground offensive into new regions and made a host of maximalist demands, including that Kyiv cede territory still under its control. Along with its European allies, Ukraine has been ramping up pressure on Trump to hit Moscow with fresh sanctions -- a step he has so far not taken. 'Talks of pauses in pressure or easing of sanctions are perceived in Moscow as a political victory –- and only encourage further attacks and continued disregard for diplomacy,' Zelensky said Friday on social media. Russia has meanwhile been pressing its advance on the battlefield, with its forces on Friday claiming to have captured another village in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
