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Scholz offers to deploy bulk of new NATO brigades for the Baltics in their home countries

According to the report, the plan includes reinforcement of "forward presence" in Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Poland with additional brigades of 3,000 to 5,000 people each

BERLIN, June 28. /TASS/. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz proposed to leave the bulk of new NATO brigades for the Baltics and Poland in their home countries but keep them combat ready, Die Welt reported Tuesday, citing its sources.

According to the report, the plan includes reinforcement of "forward presence" in Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Poland with additional brigades of 3,000 to 5,000 people each. Since permanent deployment of such units is costly, and the lead NATO contingents - German (in Lithuania), British (in Estonia) and Canadian (in Latvia) - also face problems because of lack of combat ready and equipped army brigades, Scholz made a compromise proposal.

Therefore, only a small part of the new brigades will be deployed at their locations, including some staff elements, communications and technical maintenance forces, as well as fuel and ammo depots. Meanwhile, the majority of servicemen will remain in their home countries.