Lithuania used the NATO Parliamentary Assembly\u2019s Spring Session in Vilnius to call for urgent action on European defence industry, air defence and continued support for Ukraine. Foreign Minister K\u0119stutis Budrys told the NATO PA Political Committee that Europe\u2019s security environment is changing in ways that leave little room for delay.<\/p>\n
Budrys said Russia is trying to destabilise the region, test Allied resilience and reduce support for Ukraine. He said recent drone intrusions into the airspace of the Baltic States and other NATO members have raised direct questions about protection of the Alliance\u2019s eastern flank.<\/p>\n
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session is taking place from 29 May to 1 June 2026 in the Seimas, Lithuania\u2019s parliament, in Vilnius. The Assembly brings together lawmakers from NATO member states and partner countries. Lithuania is using the meeting not only for parliamentary diplomacy, but also to press for concrete security decisions ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara.<\/p>\n
Budrys said Lithuania is strengthening air defence at the national level, but that national measures alone are not enough. He said the response requires priority investment, better Allied coordination, clearer procedures, an adapted legal framework and additional capabilities in areas where threats are greatest.<\/p>\n
The minister urged NATO to increase vigilance activity in the Baltic Sea, deploy additional air surveillance assets and strengthen counter-drone capabilities. The measures discussed included both kinetic and non-kinetic tools that can detect, disrupt or neutralise unmanned aircraft.<\/p>\n
One of Lithuania\u2019s clearest messages was the need to move from air policing to air defence. For the Baltic States, which rely heavily on NATO support for airspace security, that would mean going beyond patrols and the recording of violations. It would require broader readiness to defend airspace in practice, including against unmanned aircraft.<\/p>\n
The issue is also part of wider regional debates about Baltic air defence, as drone incidents increasingly affect both military planning and civilian security. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are NATO members on the Alliance\u2019s eastern flank, bordering or close to Russia and Belarus.<\/p>\n
Speaking about long-term security, Budrys identified three priorities: preserving Allied unity, strengthening European defence and sustaining support for Ukraine. He said critical capability gaps cannot be addressed without significantly higher European defence spending and faster development of the defence industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cStrengthening Europe\u2019s defence industry urgently is therefore not optional \u2013 it is essential,\u201d Budrys said.<\/p>\n
Lithuania\u2019s position rests on the argument that Europe must become a more capable security partner of the United States. Budrys said a strong U.S. presence in Europe remains indispensable as a deterrent and as a visible expression of Allied resolve. At the same time, he said Europeans must assume greater responsibility for their own defence.<\/p>\n
In practical terms, this means not only higher military spending, but also faster procurement, expanded production capacity, clearer public-private cooperation and an industrial base prepared for a longer period of security pressure. Budrys also underlined the need to implement the Eastern Flank Deterrence initiative rapidly.<\/p>\n
Budrys said the new European security model should be shaped with Ukraine as an active participant. He said NATO must continue supporting Ukraine through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List and other initiatives, but added that the burden cannot rest on only a small number of Allies.<\/p>\n
The minister also said NATO countries must learn from Ukraine\u2019s wartime experience. According to Budrys, the lessons gained by Ukraine must be translated into defence planning, exercises, technology choices and force structures across the Alliance.<\/p>\n
Budrys said Ukraine\u2019s European integration must be progressive and sustained. He argued that Ukraine\u2019s membership in the European Union would be the strongest non-military security guarantee for both Ukraine and Europe.<\/p>\n
At the NATO PA Political Committee meeting, reports were also delivered by Natalia Pouzyreff, Justyna Gotkowska and Dr Stella Adorf. Separate discussions covered NATO\u2019s engagement with India, the Alliance\u2019s strategic interests, the role of parliamentary diplomacy and security in the High North, a region covering the Arctic and northern transatlantic area.<\/p>\n
Lithuania last hosted the NATO PA Spring Session in 2022, when the event was urgently moved from Kyiv to Vilnius after Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Budrys said the Ankara summit should send a clear message to both Allies and adversaries: NATO remains united, strong and capable of defending its people, territory and values. He added that NATO\u2019s adversaries will judge the Alliance by its actions rather than its words.<\/p>\n
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\n \u0160altinio kelias<\/p>\n
Tekstas parengtas remiantis 2026 m. gegu\u017e\u0117s 30 d. paskelbtu prane\u0161imu apie NATO PA Politinio komiteto pos\u0117d\u012f Vilniuje.<\/p>\n
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Sutikrinta renginio data ir vieta: NATO PA pavasario sesija vyko Lietuvos Respublikos Seim…
\n Atskirtos ministro citatos nuo redakcinio konteksto apie rytinio NATO flango saugum\u0105.
\n Patikrinta, kad geografinei apr\u0117p\u010diai nenaudojamas naujien\u0173 agent\u016bros pavadinimas.
\n Vidin\u0117s nuorodos parinktos tik pagal NATO saugumo ir oro gynybos kontekst\u0105.<\/p>\n
SourceBNS prane\u0161imas spaudai<\/p>\n
ScopeLietuva<\/p>\n
Updated2026-05-30 18:43<\/p>\n
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Article contextPeople & topics3#7K\u0119stutis BudrysNatalia PouzyreffJustyna Gotkowska<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lithuania used the NATO Parliamentary Assembly\u2019s Spring Session in Vilnius to call for urgent action on European defence…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":95654,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[93],"tags":[49802,49728,49729,171,49730,45968,241,170],"class_list":["post-95653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-vilnius","tag-baltic-air-defence","tag-european-defence-industry","tag-kestutis-budrys","tag-lithuania","tag-nato-eastern-flank","tag-nato-parliamentary-assembly","tag-ukraine","tag-vilnius"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@dk\/116665138967942598","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95653"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95653\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/95654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}