• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Gitanas Nausėda met with NATO Deputy Secretary General

President of the Republic of Lithuania

Januray 17, 2025

On Friday, President Gitanas Nausėda met with Radmila Šekerinska, Deputy Secretary General of NATO, who had arrived in Lithuania. The meeting focused on the implementation of decisions made at this week's Summit of the Baltic Sea NATO countries in Helsinki, preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague, and support for Ukraine.

Speaking on critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, the Head of State stressed that he appreciates NATO Secretary General Rutte's decision to reinforce NATO's presence in the Baltic Sea, to which Lithuania will contribute with its national capabilities. "We will continue to work actively within the EU and NATO and implement regional initiatives with other allies to restrict the access and movements of the Russian shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea. Such actions by hostile countries endanger critical underwater infrastructure, fuel Russia's war machine in Ukraine, and pose a serious threat to Baltic Sea security," the President emphasized.

"The meeting also discussed preparations for the NATO Summit in The Hague, where we will underline the importance of implementing past decisions. The 3% of gross domestic product for defense has to become the new benchmark for all NATO allies. We need to address critical gaps in NATO's defense plans to ensure readiness to deter and, if necessary, defeat Russian aggression," the President pointed out.

According to Gitanas Nausėda, it is equally important to put more emphasis on practical support for Ukraine. We need to focus on strengthening Ukraine's local defense capabilities and continuing to provide military assistance. Ukraine is not only a European issue, despite the war raging at the heart of Europe for three years. Ukraine's defeat would have severe geopolitical consequences for the entire Euro-Atlantic security. Attempts to pressure Ukraine into negotiating on unfavorable terms that undermine its sovereignty and territorial integrity will not lead to a just or sustainable peace.

The President's Communication Group