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The President on the Wagner group in Belarus: We must be prepared for all scenarios

President of the Republic of Lithuania

August 03, 2023

On Thursday, President Gitanas Nausėda met with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Suwałki to discuss the security situation on the border, the threats posed by the presence of the Wagner group in Belarus, the likelihood of provocations and the readiness to counter them.

The President stressed that the presence of Wagner mercenaries in neighboring Belarus is an additional and very important security risk factor—we need to stay vigilant and prepared for any scenario.

President Gitanas Nausėda underlined the importance of further strengthening the borders with Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) and Belarus. The State Defense Council has agreed to strengthen intelligence capabilities in the border area, as well as to enhance interoperability between border guards and the army. According to the President, Lithuania is closely monitoring the situation and is ready to take action to counter all threats to its security, including the Wagner threat.

Gitanas Nausėda highlighted that we need to continue to raise NATO's awareness of the additional security risks posed by Wagner mercenaries to the security of both countries and other NATO allies. This factor must be seriously taken into account also in the context of NATO's deterrence and defense.

According to the President, actions by the Wagner group would be considered as part of the actions by the Russian Federation. Gitanas Nausėda pointed out that NATO's newly approved defense plans provide for a collective defense response from the very first moment of a threat, and ensure an even greater defense response by NATO's eastern flank as well as the presence of NATO forces in Lithuania up to the level of a brigade.

The Lithuanian President and the Polish Prime Minister also discussed Ukraine's grain exports and the need to find concrete solutions to help Ukraine increase the volumes of its grain exports.

The President's Communication Group