German troops deployed in eastern Europe for first time since World War II
GERMAN troops arrived in Lithuania on Monday for their first long-term foreign deployment since World War II.
About two dozen soldiers arrived in Lithuania, laying the groundwork for a further 150 to join later this year. The deployment is expected to be up to its full strength of 5,000 by the end of 2027.
“This is the first time that we have permanently stationed such a unit outside of Germany,” Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in Berlin at a farewell ceremony for the preliminary command of Germany's Lithuanian brigade, according to news agency dpa.
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