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In Brussels, the President called on European leaders to strengthen EU-NATO cooperation and interoperability

President of the Republic of Lithuania

June 29, 2023

Speaking at the European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday, President Gitanas Nausėda outlined the progress of preparations for the NATO Summit in Vilnius, highlighting the need to increase focus on the EU-NATO eastern flank, to reinforce NATO's forward presence capabilities, to strengthen air and missile defense, and to approve defense plans. The meeting was also attended by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

The President called on EU and NATO countries to increase spending on defense and security, ensuring effective EU-NATO interaction and timely assistance to Ukraine, while strengthening the European defense industry, the EU's external borders and military mobility.

"The security situation in Europe is very challenging and will remain so as long as the Russian aggression in Ukraine continues and Russia's actions pose a threat to Europe. Therefore, today we must maximally expand the scope of assistance to Ukraine, consistently increase spending on the defense industry and infrastructure, and create suitable conditions for the development of the defense industry and its technological base in order to ensure NATO's collective defense," the President said.

Gitanas Nausėda underlined that the EU's missile and ammunition supply and joint procurement initiative, the agreement on strengthening the European industry through joint procurement, the European Defense Investment Programme, as well as the increase of the European Peace Facility to 3.5 billion euros are part of the solutions that should encourage the development of the European and Lithuanian defense industry, job creation, and the rebuilding of defense capabilities. All of this will also create the conditions for the continued supply of military assistance to Ukraine.

"Special focus must be placed on improving military mobility. In 2020, when the seven-year EU multiannual financial framework was negotiated, 1.7 billion euros were allocated to military mobility. Today, we have to admit that this is not enough and aim for a more ambitious target," the President said.

Gitanas Nausėda also underscored the need to strengthen the protection of the EU's external borders and adopt the necessary legal acts to combat illegal migration and its instrumentalization.