The Geopolitics and Security Studies Center hosted the first event in the “Vilnius-Berlin Pulse” series, dedicated to Germany’s foreign, security and defence policy. The discussion featured Tobias Bunde, Director of Research and Policy at the Munich Security Conference. The event was moderated by Vytautas Leškevičius, Senior Policy Analyst at GSSC.
The discussion addressed how Germany’s strategic thinking and its role in the European security architecture are changing. Tobias Bunde emphasised that Germany is experiencing an identity crisis in its foreign and security policy: many earlier assumptions about Russia as a partner, the impossibility of war in Europe, the exclusively positive impact of economic interdependence, and the long-term role of the United States in Europe have changed and continue to change.
One of the key points of the discussion was the deployment of the German brigade in Lithuania. This decision was discussed as a concrete expression of Germany’s “Zeitenwende” and an important step in strengthening the defence of NATO’s eastern flank, as well as Germany’s defensive role in Europe.
The discussion also covered the transformation of the Bundeswehr, Germany’s ambition to assume greater responsibility for Europe’s conventional defence, transatlantic relations and challenges within NATO. It was noted that a gap still remains between allies’ expectations of Germany and German society’s own understanding of its role, and that reducing this gap requires the involvement of partners, including Lithuania.
The first “Vilnius-Berlin Pulse” discussion showed that Germany’s current decisions will have long-term significance for the security of NATO’s eastern flank, Europe’s defence capabilities and the transatlantic security architecture.
