Lithuania’s new cabinet is visiting Ukraine on Friday and will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, the prime minister, the parliamentary speaker, and the foreign minister, as the country continues its fight against Russia’s invasion.
The cabinet has announced that the visit will feature the first-ever joint meeting between the Lithuanian and Ukrainian governments, along with bilateral talks between Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas and Ukrainian leaders.
Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys told BNS on the eve of the visit that it would send a strong message of continued support for Ukraine under Lithuania’s new government.
Budrys noted that this is the first time “another state is coming with the entire cabinet of ministers” to Ukraine.
“The ministers will meet their counterparts in Ukraine, and I’ll also have bilateral talks with (Ukrainian Foreign Minister) Andrii Sybiha,” he said.
Lithuania’s top diplomat also said that discussions would focus on boosting security and defence cooperation and on mutual investments.
“Another important message is our support for Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration. Here, I must emphasise not only NATO but also the European Union. Lithuania plays an important role in assisting Ukraine along the legal and procedural path. We’ll pledge to help in European integration efforts,” he said.
For security reasons, the exact list of those travelling to Ukraine was not disclosed before the trip. However, Paluckas has previously mentioned that most cabinet members are expected to go.
Lithuania remains one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters in the West. The new government, which took office last week, has pledged in its programme to back Ukraine “until victory and beyond”.
The programme includes a commitment to provide military aid equivalent to at least 0.25 percent of Lithuania’s GDP to Ukraine and assist the country in speeding up its accession to the EU and NATO.
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