The heavy German weapons are also ready on the eastern flank of NATO.

At the Pabradė military training area in Lithuania, the Chancellor looks around: there is a Panzerhaubitze 2000 in the dust, a Leopard 2 tank, a Marder infantry fighting vehicle, a Buffalo armored recovery vehicle, a reconnaissance vehicle and also a drone.

In front of them Bundeswehr soldiers with camouflage paint on their faces.

Olaf Scholz's program includes a visit to the command of the so-called NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group in Lithuania, the battle group is led by the Germans.

Scholz goes to the soldiers and they briefly explain to him what their weapons can do.

The chancellor nods and says: "Thank you very much for your commitment." Then we continue.

Matthias Wysuwa

Political correspondent for northern Germany and Scandinavia based in Hamburg.

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On Tuesday, the Chancellor traveled to Lithuania for the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and thus to a region where people feel particularly threatened by Moscow.

In the Baltic States, in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Moscow was viewed much more critically than in Germany even before the war.

The three small states have learned their lessons from their long history as part of the Soviet Union.

You had warned about Moscow and also about the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. You were right.

Now they are calling much more clearly for a clear and tough course, from sanctions against Moscow to arms deliveries to Ukraine.

There is great fear that the Baltics could be Russia's next target if Ukraine does not hold out.

On the other hand, understanding for Berlin's hesitant action seems to be limited.

Even if Scholz can fulfill a wish for the Lithuanians, at least on this trip.

The war is present everywhere

Even as the Chancellor's motorcade rolled from Vilnius airport to the presidential palace in the Lithuanian capital on Tuesday morning, the war in Ukraine was already everywhere.

Again and again flags in blue and yellow are waving in the city, on a skyscraper opposite the historic center is written in English above a huge Ukraine flag: "Putin, The Hague is waiting for you." The pillars of the presidential palace are also in blue and yellow decorated, and current photos are displayed in the corridors of the palace: President Gitanas Nausėda at a pro-Ukraine demonstration, the President next to destroyed tanks and the President holding hands with President Zelenskyi of Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Nausėda receives Scholz in his palace, and the Chancellor signs the guest book.

A working lunch is then scheduled with the Prime Ministers of Lithuania and Estonia, Ingrida Šimonytė and Kaja Kallas, and Latvia's Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš.

They also came to the palace to speak to Scholz.

About the war, and about their safety.