The Lithuanian parliament on Tuesday adopted a resolution expressing support for Ukraine’s NATO membership and calling on the member states to invite Ukraine to join the alliance at its next summit in Washington, DC.
The resolution was passed with 122 votes in favour, none against, and no abstentions.
“Ukraine is a provider of security, so its NATO membership will strengthen the alliance and will be much more effective and less costly than the support currently provided to Ukraine to defend itself,” the document reads.
“With full support for Ukraine through practical means, including NATO’s political support, it is right to invite Ukraine to join NATO,” it adds.
Žygimantas Pavilionis, chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, warned of a threat of a “bad peace” if Ukraine’s NATO membership is not approved, which he said would also affect Lithuania’s security.
“Inviting Ukraine to become a NATO member will clearly confirm that Russia does not have a veto on NATO enlargement and cannot create grey security zones in Europe,” the document says.
At the summit in Vilnius in July, NATO leaders pledged to invite Ukraine to join the alliance when all of the bloc’s members agree and the country meets the conditions in terms of military and other domestic policy reforms.
Kyiv formally applied to join NATO on September 30, 2022.
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