He said this in an interview with the Financial Times.Pistorius stated that a genuine dialogue about peace is only possible from a position of strength.“I have always been convinced that if you want to talk about peace and détente on equal terms, you can only do so from a position of strength, only at eye level. Not to intimidate anyone, but to make it clear: we want to live in peace with you, but don’t think that we are weak or that we will not defend ourselves. This is still relevant today,” he noted.One of the key symbols of this position, according to the minister, was this year’s inauguration of a permanent Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania—a flagship project demonstrating Germany’s firm commitment to its obligations within NATO.“The British, Americans, and French were in Germany to guard our eastern flank,” Pistorius recalled. “And today Lithuania, the Baltic States, Poland—this is the new eastern flank. We have to make our contribution there,” he said.Pistorius emphasized that German troops, who for years had a culture of military restraint in response to the horrors of World War II, will be ready to kill Russian soldiers in the event of an attack by Moscow on a NATO member state.“If deterrence does not work and Russia attacks, will it happen? Yes,” he said. “But I would recommend you simply go to Vilnius and talk to the representatives of the German brigade. They know exactly what their job is.”U.S. Army Major General John Rafferty expressed the belief that NATO will need more long-range missiles in its arsenal to deter Russia from attacking Europe.