Serious appointment – with a bizarre slip of the tongue. Jens Stoltenberg and Boris Pistorius visited Vilnius. The day brings important news for the Bundeswehr.
Vilnius – These are turbulent times: On Monday (June 26), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made a detailed statement on the Wagner revolt in Russia during a visit to Lithuania’s capital Vilnius. Among other things, he attested to Vladimir Putin’s rule in Russia being “fragile” in view of the events – but he used the wrong place at a crucial point in the construction kit of words, such as, among other things a stream the Deutsche Welle showed.
“What we have seen in Russia over the past few days demonstrates the fragility of the German regime,” said Stoltenberg verbatim. The slip of the tongue did not initially catch the NATO Secretary General’s attention. But the listeners do.
Stoltenberg slip of the tongue at appointment with Pistorius: “German regime fragile”
In the ranks of the journalists present, audible whispering was also heard in the TV pictures. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who was also present on the podium, laughed at first, but then intervened. While Stoltenberg looked around visibly at a loss because of the reactions, the SPD politician assisted. “Not the German regime!” he corrected.
“No, sorry, the Russian regime!” admitted the NATO Secretary General – and joined in the laughter that erupted. “Sorry, we’re pretty stable right now!” Pistorius yelled out of view of the TV cameras. Stoltenberg then got his actual message across the stage flawlessly: “It shows how dangerous it is for Vladimir Putin to be dependent on mercenaries.”
Sorry, we’re pretty stable at the moment!
Pistorius visits Lithuania in the Ukraine war: 4,000 German soldiers planned – Bundeswehr surprised?
The joint appointment of Stoltenberg and Pistorius had a serious background – and could also cause upset in Germany. Pistorius announced that he would permanently station 4,000 Bundeswehr soldiers in Lithuania. In this way, NATO’s eastern flank is to be strengthened. A wish of the Baltic countries in particular, which feel threatened by Putin’s Russia. Stoltenberg welcomed the German “leadership” on this issue.
Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda assured that his country would do everything to accommodate the German units appropriately. The necessary preparatory work should be completed by 2026 – although Nauseda hoped that his defense minister would find a faster solution at the time.
The Bundeswehr Association was, however, taken by surprise. “Within the Bundeswehr, Boris Pistorius’ announcement came as a surprise,” said association head André Wüstner Editorial network Germany. “There are a lot of conceptual questions, starting with the missing material, necessary structural adjustments and finally how these announcements directly affect soldiers from the army, the military base and the medical service and their families.”
Bundeswehr in Lithuania: Stoltenberg sees signal to Putin – “to prevent a conflict”
When asked about the signal sent by the decision to Vladimir Putin and Belarus’ ruler Alexander Lukashenko, Stoltenberg said: “Of course that sends a message,” he explained. At stake is NATO’s ability to defend every inch of its territory. “Of course, the reason for this is not to provoke a conflict, but to prevent a conflict.” “Deterrence” is an important aspect here.
The federal government’s stationing decision is fundamentally understandable, emphasized Wüstner at the same time. “Between the announcement and implementation there is a lot of homework for Lithuania itself, but especially for our Ministry of Defense.” The Bundeswehr has been represented in Lithuania since 2017, but currently “only” with around 800 soldiers. (fn with material from dpa)
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