Lithuania continues to fight for Ukraine's accession to NATO – Defense Minister
Lithuania will "never give up" on the idea that Ukraine should be a NATO member. This was stated by Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė in an interview with Politico.
She noted that the final decision on which country will join should be made by the Alliance, not the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
"If someone other than the Alliance decides who is a NATO member, the credibility of the Alliance will be seriously undermined," the official said.
The minister noted that Lithuania insisted that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attend the NATO summit in The Hague.
"I would not support his absence from The Hague," Shakalene said.
In addition, the head of the Lithuanian Defense Ministry believes that NATO should allocate part of its increased defense spending to arm Ukraine, as "the restoration of the Ukrainian army is based not on declarations, but on real capabilities".
Russia's war on Ukraine is part of broader destabilization effort, warns Chakalenie.
"The new axis of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran are working together very effectively to end the current world order. The United States, its allies and partners may have to deter and, if necessary, defeat both Russia and China simultaneously," she continued.
Her comment comes as the number of politicians in Washington and Warsaw who oppose Ukraine's accession to the Alliance is growing. Lithuania is considered one of the countries most vulnerable to a possible Russian attack through the Suwalki Corridor, a sparsely populated stretch of land on the border with Lithuania and Poland that divides Russia's Kaliningrad region from Belarus.
- On July 9-11, 2024, a NATO summit was held in Washington. It adopted a declaration stating that Ukraine's membership in the Alliance is inevitable.
- On February 12, 2025, US Secretary of Defense Hegseth said that returning Ukraine to pre-2014 borders and joining NATO are unrealistic goals.
- On February 27, Trump said, that Ukraine "can forget" about membership in the Alliance.
- On May 20, the President of Lithuania said that if NATO does not fulfill the promise of membership given to Ukraine, it will be a serious blow to the reputation of the Alliance.
