(250522) -- VILNIUS, May 22, 2025 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (2nd L) and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda (3rd L) attend a news conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 22, 2025. The German 45th Armored Brigade "Lietuva" was officially inaugurated on Thursday afternoon in Lithuania, marking the first permanent deployment of a full German military brigade outside national borders since World War II. (Lithuanian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua)