Germany prepares to send arms, troops to Lithuania

(14 Feb 2022) Germany's military said the first of some 350 extra troops it is sending to a NATO battlegroup it leads in Lithuania were en route Monday, adding to some 600 already there. Six tank howitzers were being loaded onto trucks in Munster, Germany, for transport to the alliance's eastern flank. The reinforcement was announced last week. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Ukraine on Monday, part of a flurry of Western diplomacy aimed at heading off a feared Russian invasion that some warn could be just days away. Scholz plans to continue on to Moscow, where he will try to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to stand down. U.S. officials have warned that Russia could attack this week. Moscow denies it has any such plans but has massed well over 130,000 troops near Ukraine and, in the U.S. view, has built up enough firepower to launch an attack on short notice. Find out more about AP Archive: Twitter: https://twi