Against the background of the Wagner Uprising, Lithuania’s President Nauseda is calling for a further strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank. Today Federal Defense Minister Pistorius travels to Lithuania.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is traveling to Lithuania today to watch a joint exercise between the Bundeswehr and the Lithuanian army. Even before the visit, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda spoke out in favor of further strengthening NATO’s eastern flank. If Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin or parts of his mercenary group landed in Belarus with unclear intentions, it would mean that the security of the eastern borders would have to be further strengthened, Nauseda told journalists in Vilnius.
Within NATO, German soldiers are largely responsible for the security of Lithuania. So far, however, the Bundeswehr is not to be permanently stationed in Lithuania. With the current Griffin Storm maneuver, the Bundeswehr wants to show that it can be deployed on site within a short time.
The NATO maneuver is also about the rapid transfer of soldiers and material from Germany to Lithuania. This first part of the exercise has been completed and the responsible commander, Brigadier General Christian Nawrat, is satisfied with the progress so far when a video is broadcast in Lithuania: “It went really well and I’m proud of all the women and men who were there contributed actively.”
Maneuver complexity increased
In contrast to previous maneuvers, the Bundeswehr has increased the overall complexity, says the brigadier general. In addition to 1000 soldiers, a total of 300 tanks and other large equipment had to be transferred to Lithuania by land, sea and air this time.
By 2026, the Bundeswehr wants to be able to send up to 5,000 soldiers to the Baltic States within ten days in an emergency. But things are not that far yet: “We are taking steps towards that, because ultimately we have not done the deployment of larger troop bodies of this type, in the breadth of the armed forces, in the last few decades. We also have to learn a lot,” he said Nawrat.
In the Baltic States, so-called framework nations, together with the regional armies, are responsible for protecting the so-called NATO eastern flank. In Estonia these are the British, in Latvia the Canadians and in Lithuania the Germans.
Most recently, Defense Minister Pistorius, who is visiting Lithuania today for the maneuver, called for better cooperation between the framework nations. For example in logistics: “Because we believe that we act in an interoperable and well-coordinated manner in the region. Especially when it comes to storing material. That is of central importance when it comes to being able to move troops quickly, who can then fall back on the same material.”
Permanent strengthening of the eastern flank required
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania see Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine as a direct threat to their security. They are arming their own armed forces and are demanding a permanent strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank, including by Germany. During the state visit of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Lithuanian President Nauseda recently campaigned for the permanent stationing of Bundeswehr soldiers: “As part of our agreement with the German Chancellor, Lithuania is actively investing in its military infrastructure in order to host more German troops. Lithuania is ready to do everything to make German troops feel comfortable with us.”
The Union’s defense expert, Henning Otte, calls for clarity regarding the Bundeswehr’s presence in Lithuania. The CDU politician told the editorial network Germany (RND) that the defense minister must now make it clear when and in what strength Germany’s promised brigade should be set up. The federal government had pledged up to 5,000 soldiers last year. So far, however, only around 800 are permanently in Lithuania.
Pistorius also meets Stoltenberg
Defense expert Christian Mölling, deputy director of the research institute of the German Society for Foreign Relations and head of the Center for Security and Defense in Berlin, speaks of the “lack of strategic depth” in the Baltic states. This means that in the event of an attack, Russian troops could very quickly march through to the Baltic Sea and take over the countries. The NATO accession of the two Baltic Sea countries Finland and Sweden would change little about that.
For him it is therefore understandable that Lithuania would prefer to have a Bundeswehr brigade permanently on site. But that would be expensive and politically undesirable in Germany. In addition, the current equipment of the troops may not be sufficient. And so, after the maneuver, Griffin Storm is moved back again. Brigadier General Nawrat also says that in order to practice in Germany, “I also need the large equipment in Germany to ensure the so-called troop training at the location training areas.”
At the Griffin Storm maneuver, Defense Minister Pistorius also met NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The trip to Lithuania also serves to prepare for the NATO summit in Vilnius in mid-July.