Germany is taking responsibility for NATO's eastern flank with its deployment in Lithuania, according to Julia Klöckner, president of the Bundestag, a top German parliamentary official. The Bundeswehr is in the process of stationing a permanent brigade in Lithuania with up to 5,000 troops in response to Russia's threat following the Ukraine invasion. The move marks a shift in perspective for the German military, stating that "we are no longer merely part of an alliance but ourselves are a guarantor of security".