Germany does not rule out sending additional Bundeswehr forces to Lithuania | News from Germany about Germany

German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht does not rule out sending an additional contingent of Bundeswehr employees to Lithuania. “We are already making an important contribution in Lithuania, where we are the only EU country leading a battle group (NATO. – Ed.),” Lambrecht said in an interview with the Funke group, published on Saturday, February 5. “In general, the troops are ready for reinforcement, now we are discussing the details with Lithuania.”

German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht

According to Christine Lambrecht, Germany is also sending Eurofighter fighters for aerial surveillance in Romania. “Everyone in NATO can rely on us,” the minister stressed.

For five years, Germany has played an important role in the NATO mission in Lithuania. About half of the international contingent of the alliance in this country (about 600 soldiers) were sent there by the FRG.

The so-called “NATO Battle Groups”, led by the United States, Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom, are designed to stop the enemy in the event of an attack in the region and buy time for the arrival of reinforcements from the countries of the alliance.

On Thursday, February 10, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will receive the heads of state and government of the Baltic states in Berlin. It is expected that the central topics of their conversation will be the conflict over Ukraine and the security situation in Eastern Europe.

Germany refuses to supply weapons to Ukraine

In an interview with the publications of the Funke group, Christine Lambrecht confirmed Germany’s refusal to supply weapons to Ukraine. “This is a clear position of the federal government of Germany – and in past legislative periods: we do not supply weapons to crisis regions, so as not to contribute to further escalation there,” the German defense minister stressed.

“In the conflict over Ukraine, partners have returned to the negotiating table – for example, within the Russia-NATO Council and the Normandy format. Therefore, now our task is de-escalation. We want to resolve this conflict peacefully,” Lambrecht added.

Commenting on the prospect of Ukraine’s accession to NATO, Lambrecht said: “Applying for NATO membership is Ukraine’s sovereign decision. But this is not yet on the agenda.”

See also:

The European Union and NATO in the post-Soviet space
Integration into Europe
Of the countries of the former USSR, only the Baltic countries are currently full members of the European Union: Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia joined the EU on May 1, 2004. Six more countries participate in the EU Eastern Partnership program: three of them – Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia – have signed an association agreement with the EU.

The European Union and NATO in the post-Soviet space
EU Eastern Partnership Program
Six post-Soviet countries – Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan – are currently participating in the Eastern Partnership program aimed at deepening ties between the republics of the former USSR and the European Union. It is noteworthy that Belarus and Armenia are also members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which also includes Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

The European Union and NATO in the post-Soviet space
“Eastern Partnership” of two speeds
Recently, the division of the Eastern Partnership countries into two groups has intensified. The first includes Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, which have signed an association agreement with the EU. In the second – Belarus, Azerbaijan and Armenia, which have not concluded such an agreement. An associated state can gain duty-free access to EU markets in exchange for reforms.

The European Union and NATO in the post-Soviet space
Who needs an EU visa
Citizens of the Baltic States, which joined the EU in 2004, enjoy the right of free movement and can work in any EU country on an equal basis with citizens of one or another EU state. Holders of Ukrainian, Moldovan or Georgian passports can visit the countries of the Schengen zone without visas. Citizens of Russia, Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan still require a visa for these purposes.

The European Union and NATO in the post-Soviet space
NATO integration
Of the republics of the former USSR, only three Baltic countries are also full-fledged members of the North Atlantic Alliance. Ukraine and Georgia have been granted the status of a “postgraduate country”: this means that the state has officially expressed an interest in joining NATO and has received an invitation to join an intensive dialogue on membership issues
Author: Alexandra Elkina