Lithuania called for urgent funding for weapons and a €10 billion ($10 billion) package from Europe to support Ukraine’s defense industry on Thursday.
The statement comes amid mounting pressure to strengthen Ukraine’s security and enhance Europe’s resilience against Russian aggression after Washington signaled a rollback of its presence in Europe.
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“We must act now to support Ukraine and boost Europe’s security. No more talk shops – time for action,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda wrote in an X update on Thursday.
Apart from the funding for defense, Nauseda said Ukraine’s path to NATO “must stay on the table,” and Ukraine needs to have “real security guarantees.”
“Russia must be held accountable for war crimes, and sanctions must stay until aggression stops,” Nauseda wrote, adding that Russia’s frozen assets should be seized and tariffs on Russian and Belarusian imports should be imposed.
Nauseda also called for a fast-track process for Ukraine’s EU accession by 2030.
“Ukraine’s security is part of European security. Let’s act together,” he added.
Lithuania has been one of the most active supporters of Ukraine in Eastern Europe.
Vilnius voted last week to allocate almost €33 million ($34 million) for the fiscal year 2025 to pay for the education of Ukrainian refugees in Lithuania.
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In 2023, Lithuania also held a fundraiser for Ukraine called “Radarom!.” As of Friday, Feb. 21, the program raised over €2.7 million ($2.9 million) that would go towards the purchase of drones for Ukraine – two-thirds to drones and anti-drone equipment in Lithuania, and a third to those in Ukraine.
As of 2023, Lithuania’s gross domestic product (GDP) stood just shy of $80 billion, according to World Bank data.
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