Historic day for Lithuania and Germany: German brigade inaugurated in Vilnius

VILNIUS - The German 45th Armored Brigade "Lithuania" was officially inaugurated in the Cathedral Square in central Vilnius on Thursday.

The ceremony was attended by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

Almost 1,000 troops lined up for the inauguration ceremony in the Cathedral Square

Nauseda called the arrival of the German brigade "an event of historic significance for Lithuania", stressing that German troops are coming to help Lithuania to ensure the country's defense and to deter Russia.

"Its arrival stands as a testament to the shared values between our two nations, our time-tested friendship, and the impressive progress of our strategic partnership in recent years," Nauseda said.

Later speaking in German, the Lithuanian president thanked the German troops for their presence in Lithuania.

For his part, Merz stated that by deploying the brigade in Lithuania, his country was taking the defense of NATO's eastern flank into its own hands. He also thanked the Lithuanians for their warm welcome, which should not be taken for grated.

"We are taking the defense of NATO's eastern flank into our own hands," the chancellor said in the Cathedral Square.

During the ceremony, Sakaliene said that Lithuania is aware of the efforts that Germany has made in deploying the brigade and is sincerely grateful for this.

"Lithuania is proud to stand alongside such a partner," the minister said, adding that Lithuania felt alone and betrayed when it was suffering from the occupations, but that is no longer the case today.

"We, Lithuanians, have learned through painful history that freedom is never given. It’s chosen, fought for it and defended. Our nation can call itself free because we have never accepted the chains of occupation," she added."Today, standing united with our German allies, we declare once again that the enemies of the past did not break us, and the enemies of the future do not scare us," the minister said.

German Defense Minister Pistorius said that the inaugurated brigade would be "combat-ready and stationed at the frontline".

"This day marks a significant step forward. What began as a small nucleus has become a large and growing force," he said.

The inauguration ceremony was watched by both Vilnius residents and guests. One of them was Janina, a 22-year-old international relations student from Germany, who is in Lithuania on an internship.

"This is a historic day not only for Lithuania, but also for Germany (...) I think that the decision to deploy the brigade is very important in the current security situation in Europe. This is a big step for Germany because it is finally taking more responsibility for European security," she said.

Pensioner Prancickus Jasiulevicius, 75, also told BNS that it was a very important day for Lithuania.

"It is important for Lithuania for the defense of our country. We hope that the brigade will provide more deterrence against enemies from the East. This is a great decision by Germany because it is not just about Lithuania, they are also defending Europe," he said.