Germany on alert over troops on Russian border
German MP says it is necessary to withdraw troops from the border with Russia to prevent bloodshed and waste of taxpayers' money.
According to RIA Novosti on May 24, German Parliament member Sahra Wagenknecht said in an interview with the German newspaper Berliner Zeitung that Germany must withdraw the Bundeswehr Brigade stationed on the border between Lithuania and Russia.
“We demand that the German army withdraw from Lithuania. This is much more reasonable than introducing another package of sanctions against Russia. This could also prevent a huge waste of taxpayers’ money,” the German lawmaker said.
The infrastructure for the brigade would cost the German military, which is already short of funds, personnel and supplies, hundreds of millions of euros and would be a "waste of taxpayers' money," she said.
"This happened on the Russian border and nowhere else. This is nothing less than complete disregard for history and certainly does not contribute to peace," the German MP said.
Instead of “escalating tensions,” Germany should “move toward peace” and improve relations with Russia, based on historical lessons, she said.
In December 2023, the Lithuanian and German defense ministers signed an action plan in Vilnius on the deployment of a German brigade in Lithuania by 2027.
The transfer of the main units began this year, and by 2027 the German brigade in Lithuania at the Rudninkai training ground will reach full operational readiness.
It is expected that 5,000 German soldiers and their families will arrive in Lithuania. According to a report by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, Germany intends to deploy a heavy brigade with three mobile battalions and necessary combat support and supply units in Lithuania.
