Germany has proposed basing most of the 3,500 extra troops it plans to contribute to Nato forces on its own soil rather than in Lithuania, significantly softening its initial backing for more foreign forces to be stationed in the Baltics to deter any potential Russian aggression.
Vilnius and other capitals on Nato’s eastern flank have in recent weeks called for an increased military presence on their territory. German chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed support earlier this month for boosting the multinational troop presence that rotates every six months in the region.
According to western officials, Berlin’s latest proposal is for a brigade to be stationed in Germany and deployed to Lithuania — where it has led the existing 1,000-strong multinational battle group since 2017 — only if needed. The force would also have a permanent headquarters in Lithuania, manned by 50-60 staff and the rest of the personnel would regularly come to the country for training, the officials said.
Berlin has argued that as part of Nato’s modernisation efforts troop deployments must be fast, but that Germany’s geographical proximity to Lithuania would make its latest proposal possible.
The German brigade would be in addition to the country’s participation in the battle group already stationed in the Baltic nation.
Lithuania’s foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis described the German proposal as a “good start for discussion”. However, he added: “There is still a lot of space for more significant steps as the current security situation in the region remains dangerous.”
Asked for comment, the German defence ministry said only that: “We do not comment on statements made by foreign politicians and media reports.”
The three Baltic states have called for the upcoming Nato summit in Madrid to agree to a complete change in how they are defended. They want the existing multinational battalions in each country to be converted into brigades, which would mean three to five times more troops. The Baltic air policing mission would be extended to air defence, giving it the authority to shoot down enemy aircraft.
The Baltic governments believe the current Nato “tripwire” strategy, of potentially allowing Russia to invade the region and then repelling it with massive force from Poland and Germany, is no longer defensible given the destruction wrought by Russia in Ukraine.
“If you look at Ukraine, you look at [the massacre of civilians in the town of] Bucha, you look at what we imagine is much worse in Mariupol, this is really not an option because when the Russian army invades they kill, torture, deport civilians,” Krišjānis Kariņš, Latvia’s prime minister, told the Financial Times last week.
He called the new strategy “deterrence by denial” and said: “It’s so much less costly never to have a war than, God forbid, if war breaks out.”
Additional reporting by Guy Chazan in Berlin
