As reported by the head of the Lithuanian defense department in an interview with Politico
Ahead of the NATO summit scheduled for June 24-25 in The Hague, Lithuania’s Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė reaffirmed her country’s unwavering stance on supporting Ukraine’s membership in the Alliance. She shared this in an interview with Politico.
The head of Lithuania’s defense ministry emphasized that Lithuania will never abandon the idea of integrating Ukraine into NATO. She noted that the final decision on accession must be made solely by the Alliance, not by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“If anyone other than the Alliance decides who its members are, trust in NATO will be seriously undermined.”
– Dovilė Šakalienė
According to the minister, during internal discussions within NATO, the question of whether to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the summit in The Hague was even raised. Lithuania insisted on the importance of his presence.
“I would not support his absence in The Hague.”
– Dovilė Šakalienė
Šakalienė also believes that NATO should allocate part of the increased defense spending to arming Ukraine, as rebuilding the Ukrainian army must be based on real capabilities, not just declarations.
Furthermore, she warned that Russia’s war against Ukraine is part of a broader strategy to destabilize the global order.
“The new axis of Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran is working very effectively to implement a plan to end the current world order. The United States, its allies, and partners may have to contain and, if necessary, defeat both Russia and China simultaneously.”
– Dovilė Šakalienė