Construction has begun on a German military base in Lithuania. The base will accommodate up to 4,000 combat-ready German troops. Once completed by the end of 2027, this will mark the first permanent deployment of the German military since World War II.
Last year, Germany committed to deploying troops in Lithuania, a NATO and European Union member that borders Russia. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius compared the decision to the posting of Allied Forces in West Germany during the Cold War, aimed at defending Western Europe in case of a Soviet attack.
The base in Rūdninkai, near Vilnius, the capital, is located just 246 kilometers from this near Belarus, an ally of Russia. It will include storage and maintenance facilities for tanks and other equipment, as well as various shooting ranges. Up to 4,000 soldiers, along with a further thousand German contractors, both military and civilian, will be assigned to various locations throughout Lithuania in one of the largest building projects in the country’s history.
Lithuania’s Chief of Defense, Valdemaras Rupšys, estimated that the nation will spend more than $1.1 billion over the next three years to establish the facility. However, only about a fifth of the compound buildings in Rūdninkai have been contracted for construction, raising concerns that it might not be ready in time.
According to a confidential draft budget seen by Reuters in June, the German government has requested €2.93 billion from Parliament to order 105 Leopard 2A8 tanks, partly to equip the Lithuanian base. However, internal budget disputes within Germany’s coalition government are jeopardizing Berlin’s commitment to upgrading its military.
