A Bundeswehr brigade is supposed to help protect NATO’s eastern flank in Lithuania. Now it is clear how expensive the deployment is. According to a report, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is demanding eleven billion euros to set up a German brigade in Lithuania. A ministry representative said this at the meeting of the Bundestag’s Defense Committee on Wednesday, the “Spiegel” reported with reference to participants in the meeting. Accordingly, one billion euros is earmarked for annual operating costs, four billion euros for the purchase of large equipment such as tanks and six billion euros for further investments – for example in the construction of infrastructure or for the purchase of uniforms. According to the report, the total does not include the costs of foreign allowances, which are intended to attract around 4,800 soldiers and around 200 civilians to serve in Lithuania for several years. At the beginning of April, a Bundeswehr advance team traveled to Lithuania to prepare for the establishment of the combat brigade. The association should be operational by 2027. Brigade to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank The permanent stationing of a combat brigade in Lithuania is a precedent in the history of the Bundeswehr. Never before had so many soldiers been permanently stationed abroad. The brigade is intended to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank in view of the threat from Russia. With a view to the ongoing discussions on the 2025 federal budget, Pistorius recently warned of serious consequences if more money was not made available to the Bundeswehr. In order to make the Bundeswehr fit again for national and alliance defense, new money is needed, said Pistorius. For 2025, Pistorius put the additional amount required at 6.7 billion euros.
