Once part of the Soviet Union, all three Baltic States share a border with Russia and have repeatedly been the target of Vladimir Putin’s rising ire.

Visiting Lithuania, Chancellor Scholz met Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda at the Pabrade Training Area, a major military base close to Belarus. After meeting German troops taking part in NATO exercises, Scholz underscored his resolve to adhere to NATO’s Article 5: “This means that we protect each other and that every state can rely on us to protect every centimeter of their territory,” he said.

The joint exercises come ahead of a plan to deploy two combat troop battalions from Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia to form the backbone of a new Lithuanian brigade. Joining them will be a third battalion composed of multinational NATO troops. Together, these will be a key component of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence force.

The move will mark the first time German soldiers have been permanently stationed outside of Germany since World War Two.

Tensions between the Baltic States and Russia have soared in recent times, with Western military analysts identifying the so-called Suwałki Gap (the Polish-Lithuanian corridor flanked on either side by Kaliningrad and Belarus) as a likely flashpoint in the event of a standoff between NATO and Russia.

President Nauseda has welcomed news that his country’s defenses are set to be bolstered by German soldiers, but stressed that the deployment could be quicker. As things stand, the Bundeswehr division will deploy next year but will only reach full-fighting capability in 2027.