VILNIUS (Reuters) -Germany and its partners are determined to defend all NATO territory, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday during a visit to Vilnius marking the deployment of a German brigade to Lithuania to strengthen the alliance’s eastern flank.
The visit comes as NATO leaders prepare to meet next month to set new goals on filling capability gaps and to address the question of how much members should spend on defence in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Together with our partners, we are determined to defend the alliance territory against any aggression. The security of our Baltic allies is also our security,” Merz told reporters.
On the goals of the upcoming summit, Merz said: “European defence capabilities must be strengthened in the long term and our defence industry must expand its capacities”.
Efforts to boost NATO commitments come under pressure from President Donald Trump who has complained that the United States foots too much of the bill for European security.
Merz said Germany was massively investing in its troops at home, alongside the deployment of hundreds of Bundeswehr soldiers to Lithuania.
He also stressed the importance of NATO unity against Russian aggression.
“We stand firmly alongside Ukraine, but we also stand together as Europeans as a whole, and we play as a team with the U.S. whenever possible,” Merz said.
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke, Writing by Rachel MoreEditing by Madeline Chambers)
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