The parliamentary defence committee chairman, Thomas Röwekamp of the CDU, has said that the German armed forces may need to call soldiers into duty in Lithuania in an emergency if voluntary enlistments do not meet the required numbers. “The Bundeswehr relies on voluntarism-and that remains the right principle” he told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”, adding that “for a mission that is essential for security, such as the brigade in Lithuania, the service must also be authorised on a compulsory basis if voluntary support is insufficient”. Röwekamp stated that those who choose a career in the armed forces take responsibility for protecting peace, freedom, and our alliance partners, a duty that “extends beyond national borders and includes service in places where deterrence secures peace, such as Lithuania”.
Earlier, “Der Spiegel” reported, citing a confidential Ministry of Defence document, that too few volunteers had signed up for duty on NATO’s eastern flank-particularly at the enlisted rank. By 2027, 4,800 soldiers and 200 civilian staff are expected to serve permanently in Lithuania. Currently only about 1,700 to 1,800 Bundeswehr personnel are stationed there, with a target of 2,000 by the end of the year.
