Lithuania would be ready to take in people fleeing war in Ukraine if Russia decided to invade its neighbour, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said on Wednesday.

“While we do not consider this as a central scenario because we still hope that a diplomatic solution and common sense can prevail in this situation, the government would welcome [...] people fleeing war,” she told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

Lithuanian Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė also said earlier on Wednesday that the country’s authorities were preparing to take in refugees from Ukraine if needed.

“It would be difficult to speak about specific numbers, but we are [...] modelling different scenarios and situations,” the minister told BNS.

“We understand that one way or another, our state has to be prepared, whether it is 3,000 or more than 30,000 people,” she added.

The interior ministry has sent out inquiries to municipalities, asking them where they could accommodate refugees and how they could provide them with various services and assistance, according to Bilotaitė.

Non-governmental organisations are also involved in preparation works, she added.