German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday is set to visit Bundeswehr soldiers taking part in NATO exercises in Lithuania and then hold talks with Baltic leaders.
Scholz's trip underscores the strategic importance of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
The three NATO and EU countries are among Kiev's most ardent supporters and fear the Kremlin's military aggression will not stop at Ukraine. They all share a border with Russia and were once part of the Soviet Union.
Reflecting this new reality on NATO's eastern flank, Germany is preparing for the deployment of a permanent Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania numbering around 4,800 soldiers. The aim is for the unit to reach full combat readiness by 2027.
Scholz will meet with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda at the Pabradė military training area, located north-east of the capital Vilnius and not far from the border with Belarus.
At Pabradė, the chancellor will visit soldiers with Germany's 10th Armoured Division who are participating in NATO drills.
Scholz will then travel on to the Latvian capital Riga, where he meets with the prime ministers of the three Baltic states.
The talks with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė will focus on issues including security and defence policy.
A joint press conference is expected in the early evening.