Lithuania begins construction of Germany's military base

Lithuanian and German officials on Monday took part in a ceremony marking the start of construction for a new military base that will house up to 4,000 combat-ready German troops when completed in late 2027.

Another 1,000 contractors will be housed elsewhere in the country.

The decision was prompted by Russia's 2022 invasion of nearby Ukraine, with Germany committing last year to permanently deploy troops in the NATO and EU member state — the first permanent foreign deployment of German troops since World War II — amid fears that Russian President Vladimir Putin could act on threats to attack NATO member states.

The base will be situated in Rudninkai, near the capital Vilnius, just 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Lithuania's border with Russian ally Belarus.

"If we are not secure, there is no security for them," said Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrid Simonyte at the ceremony, referring to Germany itself.

Lithuania: NATO and EU member state bumps defense spending to 3% of GDP

Simonyte's government has introduced tax increases to support a boost in defense spending scheduled to last several years. This year, Lithuania hiked defense spending to 3% of GDP.

Raimundas Vaiksnoras, Lithuania's chief of defense, said the Baltic nation would spend some €1 billion ($1.10 billion) on the Rudninkai base before completion by the end of 2027. The construction project is one of the largest in Lithuanian history.

Vaiksnoras called the project "a huge investment," adding, "the brigade will work as reassurance to our population and as deterrence, to push the Russians out."

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has compared the decision to deploy Bundeswehr soldiers in the Baltics to that of the Allies posting soldiers in West Germany during the Cold War.

To date, contracts for about one-fifth of construction on the site have been awarded, prompting concerns that it may not be completed on schedule, though Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas has pledged the government will award all remaining contracts by the end of this year.

In Berlin, budget infighting threatens to hamper German pledges to upgrade the country's military, with requests such as €2.93 billion for more than 100 Leopard 2 A8 tanks — some of which are to be stationed in Lithuania — hanging in the balance.

js/lo (dpa, Reuters)