A chill wind, uncharacteristic for the late spring, swept across the plains outside Rukla, stirring the Lithuanian, German, and Ukrainian flags held by the assembled crowd. Chancellor Friedrich Merz, his face a study in solemn resolve, stood beside his Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. Today was a day of historic significance: the official launch of the 45th Tank Brigade, Germany’s first permanent foreign troop deployment since World War II.
The new heavy combat unit, with its complement of 4,800 German soldiers and 200 civilian staff, was a direct response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It was a clear signal, Merz had stressed, that "Together with our partners, we are determined to defend the alliance territory against any aggression. The security of our Baltic allies is also our security.”
Yet, beneath the public declarations of unwavering commitment, there was a calculated strategic subtlety at play. The choice of Lithuania as the base for this unprecedented Bundeswehr deployment was no accident. Unlike Poland, Slovakia, or Romania, Lithuania shared no direct border with either Ukraine or Russia. It was geographically proximate enough to project an image of solidarity and readiness to defend NATO’s eastern flank, particularly the vulnerable Baltic states of Estonia and Latvia, former Soviet republics acutely fearful of Russian aggression.
However, this strategic positioning also offered a crucial buffer. By stationing their forces in Lithuania, Germany could demonstrate a robust commitment to collective security without placing its troops in the immediate line of fire or in a position that could be perceived as directly escalating the conflict in Ukraine. The 45th Tank Brigade, while formidable, was set to reach full operational capacity by 2027 – a timeline that suggested a long-term deterrent posture rather than an imminent intervention force.
At the news conference in Vilnius, Merz’s words about “Russia’s aggressive revisionism” and the grave security risks for the entire continent resonated deeply. But behind the strong rhetoric lay a pragmatic geopolitical calculation. Germany was mobilizing its military in a tangible way, projecting strength and resolve, yet carefully maintaining a degree of separation from the direct quagmire of the Russia-Ukraine war. The deployment in Lithuania was a masterstroke of diplomatic and military signaling: a commitment to European defense, firm yet judiciously distanced, a promise of security without direct entanglement. As the German troops began to settle into their new foreign home, the message was clear: Germany was serious about defense, but it was also serious about strategic prudence.
All names of people and organizations appearing in this story are pseudonyms
German troops start first permanent foreign deployment since second world war
Comments