Olaf Scholz in Vilnius to discuss security with Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Vilnius on June 7, 2022. AP - Mindaugas Kulbis
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was visiting Vilnius on Tuesday where he met the Lithuanian President and the Estonian and Latvian Prime Ministers.
An opportunity for these three countries bordering Russia to talk again about their security.
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With our correspondent in Vilnius,
Marielle Vitureau
The announcement was made quietly.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised to strengthen the security of the Baltic countries.
In the next few years Berlin will take the lead of a brigade of about 5,000 soldiers.
Germany has already been present in Lithuania for five years.
She leads NATO's multinational battalion.
This decision is necessary for the two countries which believe that Russia will remain a military threat in the long term.
The Lithuanian President therefore welcomed this announcement.
"
It's one of our goals, one of our dreams that we thought about before the NATO Summit
," he said.
Because it is in Madrid at the end of June that everything will be definitively ratified.
The two Baltic Prime Ministers hope that this will not be the only decision in their favor.
The air defense of the region is one of the weak points of their security.
"
We have to be sure that Russia can never imagine being able to attack our countries
," said Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.
As for the forthcoming reception of the brigade, Lithuania is already preparing for it.
A few days ago, a new military training site was inaugurated.
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Lithuania
Estonia
Latvia
Germany
Olaf Scholz
Diplomacy
Defense