This year’s annual exercise of the Mechanized Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf and its subordinate battalions is part of a large-scale NATO exercise designed to ensure that the Allies jointly perform collective defense tasks to strengthen the eastern flank of the Alliance.
The President together with Lithuanian Chief of Defense Lt. Gen. Valdemaras Rupšys were updated on the progress of the exercise, inspected the drill military equipment deployed by NATO’s forward presence battlegroup and the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and met with the troops taking part in the exercise.
"The enhancement of NATO forces on its eastern flank is a strong response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine. This exercise demonstrates the substantial military power that NATO has at its disposal to ensure collective defense by bringing together allied combat forces. Lithuania, as a host nation, is ready to take on additional NATO forces," the President said.
Gitanas Nausėda underscored the need to maintain the additional national defense spending approved for this year. "I will support the ambitious goal to include a 3% GDP increase in defense funding in the next inter-party agreement. We must be prepared for national defense in such a way that no aggressor would have the slightest temptation to test the force of NATO’s response,” the President said.
