 Germany to permanently deploy troops near Russia's border. Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that Berlin is to station 4,000 troops to Lithuania, a fellow NATO member, as the bloc seeks to fortify its ranks around Russia's exclave Kaliningrad. Germany is ready to permanently station a robust brigade in Lithuania. Pistorius said during a visit to the country's capital Vilnius, he noted that facilities and infrastructure will need to be developed to accommodate the influx of German troops. Germany stands by its commitment as a NATO member, as Europe's biggest economy, to stand up for the protections of the Eastern flank. Pistorius continued. He also noted that a deployment of this magnitude could take more than a few months. Pistorius also explained that the deployment must be compatible with NATO's recently redrawn plans on how to respond to threats to its east, which were amended in May for the first time since the end of the Cold War. The military plans are expected to be approved at a NATO summit next month. Vilnius has on several occasions called for Berlin to deploy more troops on its territory, which shares a border with Kaliningrad to the southwest and Belarus to the east. Lithuania already hosts around 1,500 German soldiers as part of a NATO battle group. Last June, Germany stated it had the capability to send a brigade of 3,000 to 5,000 troops to Lithuania within 10 days if that country was attacked.