Germany Vows to Defend Baltics Against Any Russian Threat

Friedrich Merz and Gitanas Nauseda, left, during a welcoming ceremony in Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 22.Photographer: Paulius Peleckis/Getty Images

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By Michael Nienaber and Milda Seputyte

May 22, 2025 at 5:49 AM EDT

Updated on

May 22, 2025 at 8:38 AM EDT

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany’s military is prepared to defend the Baltic region against “any threat” as he arrived in Lithuania to mark the establishment of a battle tank brigade aimed at bolstering NATO’s eastern flank.

Merz and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius took part in the first ceremonial roll call of the Panzer Brigade 45 in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. Germany aims to complete the establishment of the brigade by the end of 2027, with as many as 5,000 personnel on the ground. It will be the country’s first permanently-deployed battle tank brigade abroad since World War II.