At the meeting the guests and the Lithuanian authorities addressed the developments of the recent months in Ukraine and Russia's actions that threaten not only the security of Ukraine but also of the wider region. The meeting officials underscored that a unified U.S.-EU response was required not only to demonstrate the solidarity of the Western world but also to convince Russia to stop its illegal and illegitimate actions in the neighbouring countries.
Minister J.Olekas said he hoped that the agreement of Lithuania's political parties endorsed in the end of this March on the intent to increase defence spending to 2% of GDP by 2020 will be the last document of this kind and also – the first one to be actually put into practice.
Minister thanked the United States for the contribution to the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission and for the expeditious deployment of additional aircraft to strengthen the security of the Baltic airspace. The meeting officials underlined that Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty is an inviolable value when addressing building on Alliance capabilities in the Baltic States. That is also reflected in NATO's decision on the measures for strengthening the security of the allies made today.
Prior to the visit in Vilnius the U.S. senators met with the U.S. Air Contingent conducting the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission at the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Šiauliai.
Points of cyber and energy security were also discussed in the meeting at the Ministry of National Defence.
Lithuania's cooperation with the United States, its strategic partner, is particularly active and intense. Lithuanian and U.S. military train in joint exercises on an annual basis thus enhancing Lithuania's Host Nation Support capacity (Exercise Baltic Host), military interoperability of Lithuania and allies (Exercise Saber Strike), naval capabilities in the Baltic Sea (Exercise Baltic Operations), etc.
Lithuania's cooperation with the U.S. Special Operations Forces, the Pennsylvania National Guard, units of military training, military medicine, and others, is also intense.
