MARCH 2019. NO 3 (10).

NEWS

OBJECTS OF INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPED ON U.S. FUNDS TRANSFERRED TO

EUROPEAN DISPUTE OVER ARMS EXPORTS TESTS GERMANY’S STANCE OF 'NEIN!' Photo credits: www.flickr.com credits: Photo NATO’s Internal Rifts Emerge NATO'S PRESENCE as Powerful Subtext in Munich LITHUANIAN LAND FORCE COMMANDER: THEY MAKE GERMANY’S DEFENSE MINISTER HAS URGED FELLOW NATO A BOND WITH THE ENTIRE LEADERS TO SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE IN THEIR APPROACH TO LITHUANIA ONGOING CRISES, BRINGING TO THE FOREFRONT THE SIMMERING PROBLEM OF DIVERGING IDEAS THREATENING TO SPLIT THE ALLIANCE FROM WITHIN.

f course, NATO is about claimed. "That’s because every member un- cash, capabilities and con- equivocally stands by Article 5, and because tributions," Ursula von der we stand by our weakest ally just as much as "OLeyen said. "But it’s also about dignity, de- we stand by our strongest." cency and dependability. Only if we can unify That statement brings to mind Trump’s those aspects can we preserve NATO’s cohe- comments last summer questioning that sion and inner strength." NATO should come to the aid of a "tiny SPECIAL Her comments may be meant partly to country" like alliance member Montenegro. mask the fact that Germany still has no plan Von der Leyen argued that fairness in GLOBEMASTER, PARACHUTES to reach an alliance-wide military spending NATO should extend not only to financial bur- AND 10 KM HEIGHT goal by 2024. But they also come as funda- den-sharing but also to political decision-mak- mental disagreements between the Trump ing. "For all our missions, we go by the princi- administration and Europe continue to ding ple, ‘in together, out together.’" That comment the alliance’s credibility. On top of that, gov- speaks to the perception here that the Trump ernments ostracized on the continent for administration made plans to withdraw from their non-democratic leanings — like Hunga- Syria and reduce the U.S. troop presence in Af- ry or — angle to find a kindred spirit ghanistan without consulting allies. in U.S. President Donald Trump and convert Veteran U.S. diplomats Douglas Lute and that bond into security guarantees indepen- Nicholas Burns outlined what they termed dent of NATO. "challenges from within" to the alliance in a "In NATO, we are more than partners; new report by the Harvard Kennedy School’s we are allies," the German defense chief pro- See page 6 Dear readers of the "Lithuanian Military Digest", Content Our country have just celebrated another anniversary of Free- NEWS dom with which we entered the second century of Independence. Every year, the end of winter and the beginning of spring reminds NATO’S INTERNAL RIFTS EMERGE AS POWERFUL us on how our homeland was built, where the Freedom came SUBTEXT IN MUNICH...... 1,6 from and what path had to be went not only by the Lithuanian people but also by the in order to live under their own democratic system. OBJECTS OF INFRASTRUCTURE On February 16, 1918, the Council of Lithuania signed the DEVELOPED ON U.S. FUNDS TRANSFERRED Declaration which marks the restoration of Independence of Lith- TO LITHUANIA...... 3 uania after many years of Russian occupation. However, agree- ments did not last too long and cruel fighting continued. In 1940, EUROPEAN DISPUTE OVER ARMS breaking the period of independence, Soviets occupied Lithuania EXPORTS TESTS GERMANY’S STANCE once again. OF 'NEIN!'...... 4,5 Nevertheless, we wish to emphasize that this year is extremely important to us, because on February 16, 1949, eight Lithuanian JAVELIN ANTI-TANK MISSILE SYSTEM STOCKS partisan leaders signed a second Declaration of Independence un- SUPPLEMENTED...... 5 der the conditions of war. Just image how difficult it should have been for those forest brothers when the fights with hundreds of NATO HAS TO BE PREPARED FOR NEW thousands troops of occupant’s army and the Peopl