The German armed forces (Bundeswehr) will increase their participation in NATO programs and strengthen their contribution to the defense of the territory of the Alliance member countries, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at a joint briefing with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Berlin.

"We will stand ready to support each other, any Ally, against any threat and to protect every inch of the Alliance," he stressed.

Scholz added that Germany is already very active when it comes to protecting the Eastern Flank of NATO by making available roughly 1000 troops in Lithuania:

"And we have designated a brigade in Germany to the defense of Lithuania. We've made available Eurofighters for the air policing of Baltic states. In addition, the Federal Armed Forces this year earmarked more than 14,000 troops for the NATO Response Force and kept them ready. Next year, the number will have risen to 17,000 and Germany will, in tried and tested cooperation with Norway and the Netherlands, again, take over the lead of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force."





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