The research in this work package addresses Germany's military profile in the Baltic Sea region as well as its publicly displayed changing role as a security policy player in the region. The research covers the following: Deployment of troops and military equipment in Northeast Europe as a historical turning point, strategic entanglements with regard to the historical context, expectations placed on Germany by its neighbors in the Baltic Sea region, and Germany's active role as a military power in the Baltic Sea region with the example of force deployment in Lithuania within the Enhanced Forward Presence framework.

The following questions constitute the scope of the work package: are the Baltic Sea region countries still oriented toward the United States in light of the increased uncertainty about the future stance of the United States, or are they instead seeking closer ties with Germany and other major EU powers? What are the various expectations that the countries of the Baltic Sea region place on Germany and to what extent are they able to contribute to the decision-making process in Berlin? How can we explain Germany's readiness to accept the leading status of the NATO presence in Lithuania?