Lithuania is assembling a coalition of countries to help demine Ukraine. The country’s defence minister, Arvydas Anušauskas, announced the plan on Tuesday at the Ramstein-format meeting held by countries supporting Ukraine, according to the ministry’s press release.
“The coalition is being assembled according to the ‘train and equip’ principle used in the training assistance for the Ukrainians carried out in Lithuania with Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and soon – Denmark,” said Anušauskas. “We invite other countries to join us with their instructors and equipment.”
The mission will operate in territories liberated from Russian occupation.
"We are talking about liberated territories, about areas close to the frontline where there's huge need for specialists and engineering equipment," the minister told reporters later on Wednesday. "We are not talking about what is happening at the front. These are completely different means and possibilities."
During the Ramsein-format meeting, defence ministers also presented the latest packages of assistance to Ukraine. Lithuania’s latest contribution in July was worth 24 million euros, the Lithuanian defence ministry said.
"We are counting grenade launcher ammunition and armoured personnel carriers we are sending this month," Anušauskas clarified later.
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