German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius says Europe needs to take responsibility for its own security. He made the remarks in Lithuania, where he was overseeing preparations for a German army deployment designed to strengthen NATO's eastern border.
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00:00It's his seventh visit to Lithuania and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is being shown
00:05one of his most important projects taking shape. It's a historic first. The German army is setting
00:11up a brigade permanently in the small Baltic country. By 2028, at the latest, Lithuania will
00:18be home to some 5,000 German troops and their families. The goal? To help strengthen NATO's
00:23eastern flank. What we are talking about is to underline every day that we have a
00:29responsibility and we have a bigger responsibility for Europe's security than ever before,
00:34regardless what the agenda is of Donald Trump and the White House and the new administration.
00:41Next stop, Poland, Jechow, not far from the Ukrainian border. This is the logistics hub
00:47for the allies supporting Ukraine. The Bundeswehr is taking over air defense here from the U.S.
00:52Army for six months, with two Patriot units at their disposal. The future role of the Americans
00:58under President Trump is a topic of conversation amongst troops on the ground, too.
01:03It stands to reason that we are in support of NATO. We're part of the alliance and we're here
01:08to stay. The mission set here in Poland is well defended by both U.S. and NATO partners,
01:15covering every level of air defense echelon. So I fully anticipate that that will continue
01:22specifically with cooperation from NATO and from the alliance.
01:26At a press conference, the defense ministers of Poland and Germany stressed the importance of
01:30European unity. The Polish minister thanked Pistorius for helping defend Ukraine against
01:36Russia's ongoing aggression. Warm words from his Polish counterpart, official recognition
01:42from Lithuania and France. Cynics are saying it feels like Pistorius is on a farewell tour,
01:48where allies don't want to miss the opportunity to thank the popular German defense minister in
01:53public for his personal commitment to European security. Just weeks before German elections,
01:58we'll very likely see his party no longer leading the German government.