Pistorius in Lithuania:

“For Russia, Ukraine is just the beginning”

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in Lithuania(Bild: AP/Mindaugas Kulbis)

In Lithuania, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has warned against Russia's arms build-up. "We are seeing how quickly Russia is ramping up its weapons production and dramatically building up its armed forces." For Russia, Ukraine is "just the beginning", said Pistorius.

The Kremlin is trying to undermine social cohesion in the EU and NATO countries. For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the free and democratic way of life is the real enemy, Pistorius told the Lithuanian parliament on Thursday. "Ukraine was a wake-up call, perhaps the last one we will get."

The German government has promised its NATO partner Lithuania to station a combat unit there permanently. This brigade is to consist of up to 5,000 soldiers and be operational by 2027. The move takes account of the changed security situation in Europe.

In mid-September, Putin increased the strength of his armed forces for the third time since the start of the war in Ukraine. By December, 1.5 million soldiers are to be employed, compared to just over one million at the start of the war in 2022.

Dangerous neighbors
Lithuania borders Belarus, which is allied with Russia, and Russia's Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad. Between the two countries, a narrow land corridor runs west from Lithuania to Poland - the so-called Suwalki Gap. It is assumed that there could be fighting over the land passage in the event of an attack. The Lithuanians see the German troop deployment as a reassurance of the NATO commitment.