Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda responded cautiously to media reports that Germany has too few volunteers for the current military deployment in the Baltic country, which is a member of the European Union and NATO, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
"I have the opportunity to discuss this with Chancellor Friedrich Merz. "I raised the issue and received assurances that Germany's commitments remain unchanged and are being taken very seriously," Nauseda said in a video released by his office.
He said he planned to discuss the deployment of the brigade with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference this weekend.
Nauseda was responding to information in the German magazine "Spiegel", which, citing a confidential Defense Ministry document, highlighted personnel problems in the creation of the brigade.
According to the report, the Bundeswehr (German armed forces) lacks volunteers to serve on NATO's eastern flank, especially in the regular troops, where too few people sign up.
Lithuania borders the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea and Belarus, close to Moscow.
The Bundeswehr is still The 45th Tank Brigade is still in the process of being established in Lithuania. Equipped with tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, the formation is intended to provide enhanced protection for NATO's eastern flank. It was promised by the German government in response to the growing threat from Russia and officially entered into force in April 2025.