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The President to the North Atlantic Council: It is necessary to strengthen deterrence and forward defense capabilities in the eastern flank of NATO

President of the Republic of Lithuania

June 26, 2023

President Gitanas Nausėda together with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and members of the North Atlantic Council discussed preparations for the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July and the current security situation in the region.

The meeting focused on enhancing NATO's effective deterrence and defense. The President underlined the need for the Vilnius NATO Summit to consolidate the principle of forward defense on the eastern flank of the Alliance, to approve new regional defense plans and to allocate the necessary capabilities for their implementation.

The meeting also discussed Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as the recent developments in Russia, which contribute to additional instability and threats in the Baltic region and the entire eastern flank of NATO. The President stressed that there will be no peace and stability in Europe unless Ukraine's future in Euro-Atlantic structures, including NATO membership, is clearly defined.

"Ukraine's future is NATO. In Vilnius, we must clearly state that Ukraine will become a NATO member as soon as possible. The absence of clear membership prospects and a pathway to it sends a signal to Russia that its blackmail tactics are effective and yielding results," the President said.

Another topic discussed at the meeting was Sweden's membership in the Alliance and the need for an agreement to set a threshold of at least 2% of GDP for increased defense spending.