Eight decades after the Nazi horrors of the second World War, Lithuania has welcomed German soldiers – this time as Nato allies.
Amid growing doubt over the US commitment to the region, chancellor Friedrich Merz said the co-operation − involving the deployment of a German brigade in Lithuania − marked a “new era” of German readiness to defend “every inch” of Nato territory and stand with the Baltic region against “any threat”.
In Vilnius on Thursday, Merz and his defence minister Boris Pistorius oversaw the first ceremonial role call of the Panzer Brigade 45, the first battle tank brigade based outside Germany since 1945.
“We are determined, together with our allies, to defend Nato territory against any, any threat. We must do everything to defend ourselves – so that we never have to,” said Merz alongside Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda.
The German leader praised successive Baltic governments for recognising the Russian threat and acknowledging their “irritation” over long-lasting German “illusions about Putin’s regime”.
“I assure you, that time is over,” Merz said. “We are aware of the seriousness of the situation. And we are aware of our responsibility.”
The new brigade comes a week after Merz promised that unprecedented German defence investment will result in Europe’s greatest conventional army.
About 400 German soldiers are stationed in the Baltic region at present. Some have begun their basic training while others will follow in the coming months. By February 2026, the Nato multinational force in Lithuania will be subordinated to the new German division, bringing total numbers up to 1,800.
In a year’s time Germany aims to have nearly 2,000 soldiers on the ground. A year later the hope is for the brigade to grow to about 5,000 personnel.
The new brigade is headquartered in Rudninkai, 30km south of the capital, with a focus on the vulnerable Suwalki Gap. This is a narrow corridor between Kaliningrad and Belarus and is seen as a potential flashpoint in any potential Nato-Russia conflict.
[ Merz vows to build the strongest army in Europe and revitalise Germany’s fortunesOpens in new window ]
Memories of the last major conflict here hung over Thursday’s ceremony. Nazi Germany occupied the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from 1941 until the end of the war in 1945. Though initially welcomed as liberators from Soviet oppression, the Nazi occupiers murdered huge numbers of the local population, including the majority of the Jewish and Sinti-Roma communities.
The new deployment has led to the rise of German-language schools and housing projects in Lithuania, while German defence company Rheinmetall is setting up a new factory here.
In exchange Lithuania has agreed to step up orders of German equipment and technology, including Rheinmetall’s Leopard 2 tanks and Boxer armoured vehicles.
Germany’s deployment mirrors commitments by France, the UK, and Canada, which lead Nato battle groups in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, respectively.
