Germany is permanently stationing troops in another country for the first time since World War II

• Germany is deploying troops to another country on a long-term basis for the first time since World War II.
• It's putting thousands of soldiers in Lithuania, a NATO member that borders Russia.
• It described the move as an effort to protect NATO. Germany's defense spending is also rising.

Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, announced on Tuesday that they'd created a new brigade, the 45th Armored Brigade, to be stationed in Lithuania.

It will be the first long-term deployment of German soldiers to another country since World War II, the Associated Press reported.

Brig. Gen. Christoph Huber, the commander of the 45th Armored Brigade, said that with its creation, "we're not only moving toward operational readiness, we're taking responsibility."

"For the alliance, for Lithuania, for Europe's security," he said. "As a sign of our determination to defend peace and freedom with our partners."

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked a surge of defense agreements and spending among European countries.

When plans were first made for the 45th Armored Brigade in 2023, Germany described it as part of growing efforts by NATO members to boost both their own security and the security of NATO's eastern borders.

Germany's defense minister, Boris Pistorius, previously said, "With this war-ready brigade, we're taking on leadership responsibility on NATO's eastern flank."

Two soldiers in camouflage gear raise the German flag on a flagpole in front of a gray building.

German and Lithuanian soldiers holding a German flag at a ceremony for the new 45th Armored Brigade.Alexander Welscher/picture alliance via Getty Images

The new brigade is made up of several battalions and will have about 5,000 soldiers and civilian staff, the Bundeswehr said this week.

It added that the brigade's command facility was already fully operational and that the aim was to have it at full wartime readiness by 2027.

Lithuania — which borders the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and the close Russian ally Belarus — is one of the countries that has sounded the alarm the loudest that Russia could move beyond Ukraine to attack elsewhere in Europe.

It's also one of NATO's biggest defense spenders by proportion of GDP and one of Ukraine's biggest allies, describing Ukrainian troops as the ones who are protecting all of Europe.

There are already NATO troops in Lithuania, on a rotating basis, with a multinational battle group led by Germany. NATO countries have also deployed assets such as fighter jets and air defenses there.

US troops are among those stationed in Lithuania, though their long-term future is less clear, with President Donald Trump critical of US allies, of NATO, and of assistance to Ukraine.

Dovilė Šakalienė, Lithuania's defense minister, told Business Insider in February that her country wanted US troops to stay and that she expected the US could see "eye to eye" with countries who pay their part when it comes to defense.

"We do our part," she said, adding that she expected the US to do its part, too.

Lithuania has also been strengthening its border with Russia.

Germany's new brigade is the latest in a series of measures introduced by the country since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

It spent 1.51% of its GDP on defense in 2022, which jumped to an estimated 2.12% in 2024, according to NATO.

The rise in defense purchases by Germany, and Europe more broadly, has been a boon for the continent's defense industries.

The German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall said in March that it expected sales this year to rise by 25% to 30%.

Germany's defense spending has increased less than some of its allies: It ranked 15th out of 31 NATO members for defense spending as a proportion of GDP in 2024, according to NATO estimates.

But it has vowed to do more.

After grappling with its World War I and World War II legacies, which led to an avoidance of heavy militarism, Germany has committed to major military moves.

Lawmakers this month voted to alter the German constitution in a way that would unlock billions of dollars that could be used for defense spending.

Šakalienė, Lithuania's defense minister, told BI in February that Europe "needs to up our defense spending very fast and very significantly."

She said Europe needed to be able to match the US and to match Russia, which was escalating its own defense production: "We need to catch up to the speed of Russia," she said.

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