Lithuania has ratified a joint agreement with Germany to station a combat-ready brigade in the Baltic NATO country, with all 88 lawmakers present backing the plan on Thursday. The agreement, struck in Berlin on September 13, foresees the stationing of both German troops and civilian employees of the German armed forces in Lithuania. In response to the changed security situation in Europe following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Germany has decided to permanently station a combat brigade in Lithuania. It is to be ready for deployment by 2027. The plan is for up to 5,000 troops to be stationed…