Germany and its NATO partners are prepared to defend every inch of the alliance's territory, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday at a military ceremony in Vilnius to mark the establishment of a German brigade in Lithuania.

Amid growing doubt over the US commitment to the region, chancellor Friedrich Merz said the co-operation − involving the deployment of a German brigade in Lithuania − marked a “new era” of German readiness to defend “every inch” of Nato territory and stand with the Baltic region against “any threat”.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday inaugurated a historic new brigade in Lithuania, saying that Germany and its NATO partners are prepared to defend every inch of the alliance's territory. The thousands-strong brigade is part of European efforts to strengthen the region's defences after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.