“It is highly symbolic that, in the context of the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine, the NATO Summit is held here in Lithuania. But this symbolism also reflects our serious commitment: meeting at the flank of the aggressor, the Allies will once again demonstrate their unity and make decisions to ensure the security and defense of every inch of the Alliance,” the President said.
Gitanas Nausėda emphasized that we need to be extremely vigilant and well-prepared following the weekend’s events in Russia.
“We must ensure that the aggressor does not even consider crossing NATO’s borders and testing the effectiveness of Article 5. Therefore, at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, we must move forward with the implementation of the decisions taken in Madrid on strengthening deterrence and defense and approve new regional defense plans that are of existential importance to us,” the President said.
Gitanas Nausėda expressed Lithuania’s hope to welcome Sweden as a new member of the Alliance at the NATO Summit in Vilnius. According to the President, its membership would significantly strengthen not only the security of the Baltic region but also the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic area.
The President highlighted the necessity to agree on a 2% GDP floor for defense spending at the Vilnius Summit. According to Gitanas Nausėda, the security situation clearly underscores the need to strengthen the Alliance’s defense capabilities.
The President thanked the NATO Secretary General for his strong stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine and active role in mobilizing allied support. Gitanas Nausėda said that it was imperative to bring Ukraine closer to NATO membership and to agree on a clear path towards accession. According to the President, Ukraine is part of the transatlantic security architecture, therefore our relations must be expanded and clearly defined.
Gitanas Nausėda presented NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg with the Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Vytis for his special merits in strengthening the security of Lithuania, the Baltic region and the eastern flank of NATO.
