Prime partner in the Baltics: Pistorius welcomes Lithuanian counterpart

Defence Minister Pistorius welcomed Dovilė Šakalienė, Lithuania’s new Minister of National Defence, at the Bendlerblock on 16 December 2024. Šakalienė had been confirmed by Lithuania’s parliament, the Seimas, on 12 December. By choosing Berlin as her first destination for an official visit she underlined the relevance of Germany as Lithuania’s most important European partner.

In addition to the buildup of the Brigade in Lithuania, which is to progress alongside the construction of the required brigade infrastructure in Lithuania, Pistorius and Šakalienė discussed the continued support of Ukraine in 2025 as well as armaments cooperation. Their main focus, however, was on continuing the close bilateral German-Lithuanian cooperation, which is particularly apparent in the establishment of the German Brigade in Lithuania.

Pistorius began by thanking Šakalienė for the great commitment and dedication displayed by the Lithuanians in preparing the deployment of the Brigade. In 2025, the focus would be on establishing a brigade staff capable of command and control as well as of conducting exercises, he said. Around 500 German military personnel were to be deployed in Lithuania by the end of the year. They would be augmented by approximately 1,300 soldiers who are presently forming the eFP Battlegroup in Lithuania. The forces were to become part of the Brigade by the end of 2026.

Regarding the support of Ukraine, both countries are working together closely and reliably, e.g. in the European Military Assistance Mission EUMAM, where Lithuania is involved in training Ukrainian forces on German territory.

Agreement on armaments cooperation

To prevail on the battlefield of the future, weapons must be interoperable. This is why Germany and Lithuania plan to use the same weapon systems. Following the talks in Berlin, Minister Šakalienė signed a purchase confirmation for the procurement of 44 German Leopard 2 A8 MBTs under the German framework contract. “Because they will be using the same type of tank, our armed forces can work together even better”, Pistorius stressed in Berlin. It would save costs and facilitate joint maintenance of the systems. The Bundeswehr Brigade in Lithuania will also be equipped with Leopard tanks.