German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has backed demands from the EU’s Baltic states for a large increase in the number of foreign troops in the region ahead of a crucial NATO summit this month.
The Baltic countries have called for multinational battalions of about 1,000 soldiers in each nation to become brigades, usually made up of 3,000-5,000 soldiers.
“We are ready to strengthen our commitment and develop it into a robust combat brigade,” Scholz told a news conference in Vilnius with Baltic leaders.
Strengthening the defense of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will be one of the most important decisions that NATO will have to take at its summit in Madrid from June 29 to 30, as the military alliance takes stock of the changed world from Russia’s large-scale war against Ukraine.
So far, NATO has relied on a “tripwire” approach to the Baltics involving a small number of troops, which would most likely be invaded by a Russian invasion before being reinforced from Poland and the rest of the continent.
But Baltic leaders are pushing NATO to try to completely repel any Russian attack from the start. In addition to the ground brigades, they want the current regional air police mission to become an air defense mission, offering fighter jets the opportunity to shoot down enemy aircraft.
Germany, which has already increased its troops in Lithuania since the Russian invasion and has massively agreed to increase its defense spending, is becoming one of the first European countries to publicly endorse the Baltic approach.
“The Baltic states are in a very sensitive security situation on the NATO front line… We have agreed that it is necessary to improve defense capabilities in the Baltic countries by increasing the number of troops deployed and strengthening air and sea defense “said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.
Scholz also reiterated Germany and NATO’s commitment to “defend every inch of NATO territory” in the event of an attack.
Baltic politicians have been outraged by the decision of Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron to continue talking to President Vladimir Putin despite the war in Ukraine.
Recommended
However, Germany has been clear in its support for the defense of the Baltic countries. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in April that her country had “not listened closely enough” to the Baltic states’ concerns about Russia for decades.
He added: “Having a minimal military presence in the Baltics and Poland will not be enough in the future.”
Baltic countries are trying to keep up pressure on other European nations to increase sanctions on Russia, including a reduction in gas purchases and the supply of more weapons to Ukraine, areas of which Berlin is more reluctant.
“Europe has done a lot to help Ukraine, but that is not enough. The war has not yet been won. We must stay on this path and in no way slow down. On the contrary, we must only increase speed, ”Nauseda said.