DefenceTalkAround a hundred German soldiers arrived in Lithuania on Sunday, after Germany pledged to bolster its presence on NATO’s eastern flank following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The troops drove off the ferry in the port city of Klaipeda. They were to make up the command unit of a new brigade, a group usually made up […]https://www.defencetalk.com/more-german-troops-begin-arriving-in-lithuania-79320/

DefenceTalkLithuanian troops left for Ukraine on Tuesday to train local forces in the use of US-made anti-aircraft missile systems, which the Baltic state provided amid fears of a Russian invasion. “We have fully supported, are supporting and will continue to support Ukraine,” Lithuania’s Chief of Defence Valdemaras Rupsys said in a statement. “Weapons and technology […]https://www.defencetalk.com/lithuanian-troops-in-ukraine-to-provide-missile-training-77953/

DefenceTalkChina has suspended imports of Lithuanian beef, the customs administration said, as tensions rise over trade following the Baltic nation’s stance on Taiwan. Lithuania, one of the smallest countries in the European Union, enraged China last year when it allowed Taipei to open a representative office in Vilnius under the name of Taiwan — a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-suspends-lithuanian-beef-imports-amid-row-over-taiwan-77891/

DefenceTalkGermany will invest 110 million euros (US$127 million) in military infrastructure in Lithuania until 2021, its defence minister said Monday, on a visit to mark two years since NATO installed battalions in the Baltic region to ward off Russia. In 2017, NATO deployed four multinational battalions to Poland and the Baltic states as a counter […]https://www.defencetalk.com/germany-ups-investment-in-nato-battalion-in-lithuania-72113/

DefenceTalkLithuania on Monday accused Russia of deploying nuclear-capable ballistic missiles to its Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic, as relations between Moscow and the West sink to post-Cold War lows. Russia has previously sent Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad for drills, but Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said that this time they were being deployed for a “permanent […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-deploying-ballistic-missiles-to-baltic-enclave-lithuania-71418/

DefenceTalkRussia has warned that it could deploy more high precision missiles to its Kaliningrad enclave, which borders Poland and Lithuania. Moscow has accused the US of illegally propping up its own forces in the region. Russia said on Thursday it may send more Iskander missiles to its military base in Kaliningrad as a direct response […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-mulls-boosting-missile-capabilities-on-nato-border-70676/

DefenceTalkLithuania said Wednesday it would raise its defence spending to 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) next year to meet a NATO target amid security concerns over neighbouring Russia. The government of the Baltic state formally endorsed a rise from the current 1.8 percent of GDP to 2.006 percent for 2018. “In the light […]https://www.defencetalk.com/lithuania-hikes-defence-budget-to-meet-nato-target-70664/

DefenceTalkU.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has criticized what he called a “destabilizing” Russian military build-up near the Baltic states, as officials said the United States was considering deploying Patriot missiles in the region for military drills later this year. Mattis was speaking on May 10 at a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-may-deploy-patriot-air-defense-missiles-in-lithuania-69941/

DefenceTalkLithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite on Thursday urged NATO’s top general to create new alliance command centres on its eastern flank to deter Russia, calling their current location in Europe a relic of the Cold War. “In light of the changing geopolitical dynamics, NATO is too slow; therefore, changes are needed in reforming and speeding up […]https://www.defencetalk.com/lithuania-wants-nato-command-headquarters-on-eastern-flank-69512/

DefenceTalkSeveral hundred German soldiers arrived in Lithuania on Tuesday as part of the multinational NATO battalion being deployed in the country, part of the alliance’s effort to beef up its eastern flank. The German troops will head up a force including Belgian, Dutch and French soldiers, among other nations, that will reach full strength of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/german-troops-bulk-up-nato-led-force-in-lithuania-69017/