Defense Minister Pistorius sees Germany's role in the NATO mission in Lithuania as a milestone. But critics warn of a weakening of the Bundeswehr.
Berlin – It is considered his personal prestige project: Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) wants to consolidate the role of the Bundeswehr in NATO and plans to permanently station 5,000 soldiers in Lithuania by 2027. The combat brigade is intended to strengthen the defense of NATO's eastern flank and underpin Germany's pursuit of leadership responsibility in the defense alliance. But there is also criticism of the ambitious project – and Army Inspector General Alfons Mais is now warning in a letter to Inspector General Carsten Breuer of a weakening of the home front.
Bundeswehr stationing in Lithuania: Top general sees gaps on the home front in Germany
As early as 2017, NATO began deploying soldiers to NATO's eastern flank in order to ensure the security of the Eastern European member states. Since 2022, Germany has been in charge of the NATO mission in Lithuania. During a visit to Vilnius, Pistorius recently signed plans for the future project and described this step as a “historic moment” that marks a “milestone” for both countries. Meanwhile, Pistorius wants to lure Bundeswehr soldiers and their families to NATO's eastern flank.
The basic document “Roadmap” specifies what is necessary for the permanent stationing of up to 5,000 Bundeswehr personnel on NATO's eastern flank. The NATO partners Germany and Lithuania want to have the new German combat brigade fully operational by 2027.
Pistorius criticized: “Army equipment is borderline” – general warns of consequences
Experts had previously noted that the project was considered very ambitious right from the start. Now comes the criticism from General Alfons Mais. “Unfortunately, I cannot avoid emphasizing again that the material resources of the army, measured against its orders from 2025, are currently more than marginal and, despite all positive efforts, will continue to be underfunded in the future,” writes Mais, according to one Mirror-Report. The general warned that the blanket was too thin.
Mais is quoted as saying that the army is only 60 percent equipped across all material categories – “from A for artillery pieces to Z for tent track”. The establishment of a new large association without additional investments will reduce this rate to 55 percent. So far, the material equipment of the new brigade for Lithuania does not appear in the ministry's cost statements for the coming years.
Pistorius wants to station 5,000 Bundeswehr soldiers in Lithuania – a brutal announcement to critics
In order to address the Bundeswehr's possible equipment problems due to the project Boris Pistorius, the minister obviously knows. During his visit to Lithuania, when asked whether the troops would even need to form a new combat brigade despite their less than lavish equipment, he replied: “We will manage it because we have to manage it.” Loud Mirror Pistorius would brush off critical questions about the project at internal meetings in his ministry in a similarly brutal manner.
In his fire letter, Mais demands that the costs for the brigade must be reflected “in their entirety in the budget”. Reason for this: skepticism that details about the organization of the association are not yet available. Although the brigade in Lithuania is to be composed of existing units, the question of additional support units is still open. Mais' fear: The additional demand could be siphoned off from the army's stocks. (fbu/dpa)
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