Editorial: Europa ist erwacht – dank Donald Trump

This week, Lithuania's President was in Germany, including at a German-Lithuanian economic forum in Düsseldorf, where he was interviewed alongside Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger. Gitanas Nausėda, an economist and former professor at Vilnius University, recounted how economic cooperation once looked: Lower labor costs in the past were the key reason European companies had flocked to his country.

One of the cornerstones of their collaboration back then was the import of used cars to Lithuania. And today? The Munich drone manufacturer Quantum Systems collaborates closely with the Lithuanian defense company ADV Defense, Rheinmetall is building a major ammunition plant there, and a Lithuanian firm recently supplied the technology for German public transport apps.

The Bundeswehr will have a permanent armored brigade stationed in the Baltic state by the end of 2027. The close relationship between the two countries, flourishing economic ties, and focus on defense and technology – all of this has multiple causes, foremost being the Russian invasion war against Ukraine. But another crucial factor is Donald Trump. We must remember this in our euphoria about the new America.