“The arrival of the team is a concrete sign of NATO support for Lithuania and a demonstration of Allied solidarity in action. The team of experts is here at the request of the Lithuanian government to advise Lithuania on how to deal with hybrid activities. NATO continues to closely monitor the situation on the Belarus border, which is putting migratory pressure on our Allies Lithuania, Latvia and Poland”, Michael Ruhle, head of the NATO-led Counter Hybrid Support Team, says.
North Atlantic Council unanimously decided to appoint a NATO Counter Hybrid Support Team for Lithuania on August 25. The decision was made upon Lithuania's official request.
According to the Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas, 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.
"We are facing a hybrid operation of the Lukashenko regime, however, the arrival of NATO Counter Hybrid Support Team is important not only in solving the problems caused by hybrid aggression - once again it was proved that we are not alone, we have allies with whom we work closely and in crisis situations we can rely on their strong support”, Minister Anušauskas says.
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, at the request of the government, NATO Counter Hybrid Support Team was sent to Montenegro.
