Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has declared that any effort to end Russia’s war in Ukraine must fully involve Kyiv and be accompanied by increased defense spending.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has called for 5 percent of NATO allies’ GDP to be spent on defense and Lithuania is one of the few European nations to have agreed to reach this target.
Nausėda’s call for Kyiv’s full participation in any peace deal—and for increased regional defense spending—underscores a broader geopolitical shift as NATO allies brace for a Trump-led postwar security landscape.
With Russia’s ambitions still a looming threat, Lithuania’s stance reflects fears that a weak peace settlement followed by U.S. disengagement with the region could embolden Moscow and leave Eastern Europe vulnerable.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda speaks during an interview at the President’s palace in Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda speaks during an interview at the President’s palace in Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025.
Mindaugas Kulbis/AP
What To Know
Nausėda warned in an interview Thursday that any settlement lacking strong deterrent measures would allow Russia to regroup and stage future aggression in the region. Lithuania, once under Soviet occupation until 1990, remains deeply concerned about Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and its increasingly aggressive posture.
Why Is Lithuania Worried?
Nausėda warned that Lithuania’s strategic position—bordering Russia’s heavily militarized Kaliningrad exclave to the west and Belarus, a Kremlin ally, to the east—makes it particularly vulnerable to future Russian aggression. Even if the war in Ukraine ends, he cautioned, the threat from Moscow will not disappear.
U.S. Army soldiers attend a celebration for Lithuania’s NATO membership 20th anniversary at the S. Daukantas Square, in front of the Presidential Palace in Vilnius, Lithuania, Friday, March 29, 2024
U.S. Army soldiers attend a celebration for Lithuania’s NATO membership 20th anniversary at the S. Daukantas Square, in front of the Presidential Palace in Vilnius, Lithuania, Friday, March 29, 2024
Mindaugas Kulbis/AP
What Has Trump Demanded from NATO?
Trump, a longtime critic of NATO countries that fall short on defense spending, has warned that he may not defend alliance members that fail to meet financial commitments. While some European nations view the 5 percent target as an economic strain, Lithuania and other Eastern European allies see it as a vital necessity in countering the persistent threat from Russia.
What People Are Saying
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said “You can never feel safe living in this part of the world, because we have this neighbor, and we will still have it after one hundred or two hundred years,” Nausėda said of Russia. “You always have the threat from the East, and you must be aware and take all the necessary precautionary measures in order not to be attacked,” he added. “It would be unacceptable if the peace would be set behind the doors and without the involvement of Ukraine,” he said.
President Donald Trump recently threatened to impose sanctions and tariffs on Moscow, and urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to “settle now and stop this ridiculous war.”
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about the midair crash between American Airlines and a military helicopter at the White House on Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, DC.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about the midair crash between American Airlines and a military helicopter at the White House on Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG/AP
What Happens Next
Some Lithuanian politicians have pushed back against increasing military spending, arguing that the country already ranks among NATO’s highest in defense expenditures relative to GDP.
However, President Gitanas Nausėda dismissed these concerns, emphasizing that Lithuania must demonstrate its ability to take responsibility for its own defense, particularly given the ongoing threat from Russia.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press