Kaunas signals German brigade’s arrival as start of NATO’s regional defence

Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas met with Germany’s Permanent Representative to NATO, Detlef Wéchter, on the sidelines of the Baltic Military Conference in Kaunas on Friday, the Defence Ministry reported.

The talks covered regional security, progress in preparations to host the German brigade in Lithuania, air-defence and defence-financing issues, the upcoming NATO summit, support for Ukraine and other topics.

“Germany’s decision to relocate a brigade to Lithuania is one of the most significant practical steps to strengthen NATO’s deterrence in this region,” Kaunas said. “It clearly signals that the Alliance’s defence begins here and now. On our side, we are doing everything to ensure the brigade reaches its full operational capability on time, in full strength and under the best possible conditions.”

Construction at the Rūdninkai military base, designated for the brigade, is proceeding as planned, with the first phase advancing faster than scheduled, he added.

“Lithuania is directly exposed to Russia’s and Belarus’s hybrid attacks, so we are taking our homework seriously: strengthening our air-defence capabilities. We have also streamlined decision-making, established restricted airspace zones and ensured rapid responses to aerial threats,” the minister said.

The meeting also discussed the agenda for the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara. Kaunas stressed that Europe must accelerate increases in defence spending to ensure a fairer burden-sharing among allies, while also ensuring long-term support for Ukraine.

During his visit, Germany’s NATO representative toured the Rūdninkai base to review infrastructure development for the brigade and met with the German brigade leadership in Rukla.

LRT, Lithuania’s public broadcaster, is certified under the International Fact-Checking Network’s Journalistic Integrity Programme.