German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will today visit German soldiers participating in NATO exercises in Lithuania, and then talk to the leaders of the Baltic States , DPA reported.
Scholz's visit highlights the strategic importance of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The three member states of the European Union and NATO are among Kiev's most ardent supporters, fearing that the Kremlin's military aggression will not end with Ukraine. All three countries border Russia and were once part of the Soviet Union.
Responding to this new reality on NATO's eastern flank, Germany is preparing to deploy a permanent Bundeswehr brigade to Lithuania, numbering around 4,800 troops. The goal is for the unit to be in full combat readiness by 2027.
Scholz will meet with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda at the Pabrade military training ground, which is located northeast of the capital Vilnius and not far from the border with Belarus. In Pabrade, the chancellor will visit the soldiers of the German Tenth Armored Division, who are participating in the NATO exercises.
From there, Scholz will travel to the Latvian capital, Riga, where he will meet with the prime ministers of the three Baltic states.
Talks with Prime Ministers of Latvia Evika Silinja, Estonia's Kaja Kalas and Lithuania's Ingrida Šimonite will focus on issues related to security and defense policy.
In the evening, a general press conference is expected after the talks.