Germany Scales Up Battle Tank Brigade in Baltics to Deter Russia

A German army Leopard 2 tank during a NATO exercise in Lithuania.Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg

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By Michael Nienaber and Milda Seputyte

May 22, 2025 at 4:00 AM UTC

Takeaways

Germany is ramping up its battle tank brigade in Lithuania to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank as European allies take unprecedented steps to deter an increasingly hostile Russia.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius will take part in the first ceremonial roll call of the Panzer Brigade 45 in the heart of the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Thursday.

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