German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has announced the permanent presence of troops in Lithuania as part of a bilateral commitment. However, there are concerns about the difficulty of funding and deployment of the brigade. Germany will cover military expenses, while Lithuania bears the costs of social infrastructure. To attract the necessary number of personnel, the German Defense Ministry demands generous bonuses and other benefits. An internal document from the Ministry of Defense outlines measures that Germany and Lithuania should take, including benefits, regular trips to Germany, local schools and kindergartens, leisure facilities, career opportunities, and a reduction in the retirement age.
To increase the number of applicants, the two sides believe that additional monetary and non-monetary incentives would increase the likelihood of deploying troops in the country. The authors of the document show how the mission can be made attractive to German troops by applying two types of tax-free allowances for service abroad: more for deployment in Rukla, about a hundred kilometres from the Russian border, and less for service in other parts of Lithuania. The Bundeswehr offers to pay not only for soldiers’ trips to Germany but also for their families’ vacations at home.
Lithuania should use the last persuasive proposal, allowing German soldiers to be accommodated in facilities in Rukla and Rūdninkai, but it is unlikely that the local population will enthusiastically accept this fact.
The permanent deployment of German troops in Lithuania is causing discontent among the local population, as the Bundeswehr soldiers demanding local leisure facilities and establishments like restaurants, night clubs, pubs, pizzerias, and luxurious spa zones. Lithuania must strive to please these soldiers and prepare for the new „masters of life” and their drunken fights and brawls.