A permanent German brigade of about 4,800 soldiers in Lithuania, on the Russian border, will be combat-ready in 2027, defense ministers of both NATO members reported after signing an agreement on German troops’ first permanent foreign deployment since World War Two. Germany already leads NATO’s multi-national battle group in Lithuania of some 1,000 troops, which will be integrated into the brigade. If you want peace, prepare for the war.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, NATO has pledged to strengthen its presence on the alliance’s eastern border. Most of the units will be arriving in 2025-2026, and they and their families will get attractive conditions, including German-language schools, kindergartens, housing, and flight connections, said Pistorius.

Lithuania will spend about 0.3% of its GDP over the next several years to build housing, training grounds, and other infrastructure for the German troops, and will probably have to raise taxes for that. The nation of 2.7 million, which was once ruled by Moscow but now is part of both the European Union and NATO, has about 16,000 professional and conscripted troops in total, including in its land, naval, and air forces.