Lithuania would consider sending peacekeepers to Ukraine

Chief of Defence Raimundas Vaikšnoras believes that Lithuania should consider sending troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission.

“As for whether Lithuania could do it – yes, we would probably consider it. There would be a discussion, and I think we should also take responsibility for stability in Europe,” he told the Žiniu Radijas radio on Thursday.

Western nations have been discussing for several months the possibility of sending a peacekeeping force to Ukraine if Kyiv and Moscow, which invaded the country three years ago, reach a ceasefire agreement.

Ukraine hopes that the deployment of foreign peacekeepers would help dispel concerns that the country could once again be left without security guarantees if Russia regroups and resumes the war later.

Anti-personnel mines

Speaking about Lithuania’s potential exit from the Ottawa Convention that bans anti-personnel landmines, Vaikšnoras said that all measures of defence are justified if a country is attacked.

“If we suddenly had to go to war, it would be an existential threat to us, a threat to our survival, a threat to our nation’s survival. Any means [of defence] would probably be justified,” he told Žinių Radijas.

“What I wouldn’t want is for those commanders who would use those stupid mines or those explosive devices on the ground, [...] to be tried after the war and prosecuted, so that when defending their country, they would feel confident that their country is taking care of them and will protect them,” he added.

If Lithuania did not withdraw from the convention, it would also limit opportunities for the country’s ally, the United States, which is not a signatory to the Ottawa Convention, Vaikšnoras stressed.

Despite the military advice, Lithuanian leaders say they will decide on the withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention after consultations with their allies.

All European Union countries are signatories to the Ottawa Convention, while China, Russia, the US, India, and Pakistan are not.

Lithuania is considering withdrawing from the convention in order to strengthen its border with Russia in case of possible aggression. Critics of such a decision say that anti-personnel landmines could harm defending forces and civilians.