The decision was made upon Lithuania's official request. According to the Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas, the representatives of the Alliance will be deployed in Lithuania in September.
The Minister states that the activation of the Counter Hybrid Support Team in Lithuania shows that the Allies are responsibly assessing Lithuania's geopolitical context and preparing for any possible incident.
In recent months, the hybrid aggression against Lithuania has been carried out by the regime of Aliaksandr Lukashenko – as a result more than 4,000 people illegally crossed the Lithuania-Belarus border this year.
At their Summit in 2018, NATO leaders agreed to set up Counter Hybrid Support Teams, which provide tailored assistance to Allies upon their request.
The NATO-led experts can support national efforts in a variety of areas, including cyber defence, energy security, counter-terrorism, civil preparedness, or strategic communications.
In 2019, a NATO Counter Hybrid Support Team was sent to Montenegro at the request of the government.
