Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė are in Kyiv on Monday to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“I have just arrived in Kyiv,” Nausėda posted on X on Monday morning. “Exactly three years have passed since the start of Russia’s brutal full-scale military invasion. Ukraine and its people have endured countless hardships but remain proud and unbreakable.”
“I am glad and proud that Lithuania has supported Ukraine in every possible way throughout these years. We will continue to do so,” he added.
I have just arrived in Kyiv.
— Gitanas Nausėda (@GitanasNauseda) February 24, 2025
Exactly three years have passed since the start of Russia’s brutal full-scale military invasion. Ukraine and its people have endured countless hardships but remain proud and unbreakable.
I am glad and proud that Lithuania has supported Ukraine in… pic.twitter.com/NCFJ8QI9Zl
According to his office, Nausėda will participate in the Support Ukraine summit, meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and honour the memory of fallen Ukrainian defenders.
The Lithuanian Defence Ministry said on Monday that Šakalienė is also in Kyiv to mark the third anniversary of the full-scale war.
“By defending its freedom from the aggressor, Ukraine is defending all of NATO and buying us time. If Russia is not stopped in Ukraine now, it will become a direct threat to NATO’s borders,” the ministry quoted Šakalienė as saying in a press release.
The agenda of her visit includes the Yalta European Strategy conference debates and a meeting of Nordic and Baltic leaders with Ukrainian leaders.
Earlier on Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced her arrival in Kyiv, which she is visiting alongside European Council President Antonio Costa.
EU leaders are marking the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in Kyiv as a show of solidarity amid a rift between Ukraine and US President Donald Trump.
Security guarantees
NATO membership is the best, most effective, and cheapest security guarantee for Ukraine, Nausėda said in Kyiv.
“Ultimately, Ukraine needs real security guarantees. NATO membership is undoubtedly the best, most effective, and – I am convinced – the cheapest option. It must remain on the table to strengthen our negotiating position,” the President’s Office quoted Nausėda as saying in a press release.
Presenting Lithuania’s position at the Ukraine Support Summit, the president emphasised that the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is a crucial moment to reaffirm our commitment to supporting Ukraine in its fight for freedom.
“There is no time to wait. Security in Europe depends on the security of Ukraine,” he said.
Nausėda urged all nations supporting Ukraine to continue supplying advanced weaponry tailored to its needs, including air defence systems and deep strike capabilities, and to jointly support defence research and development projects.
The Lithuanian leader also emphasised the need for large-scale investment in Ukraine’s defence industry to address the production gaps and to enhance the country’s self-reliance, as well as the need to buy as many weapons as possible in Ukraine for Ukraine.
According to Nausėda, new training programs for the Ukrainian Armed Forces should also be developed and existing ones expanded, thereby enhancing their combat readiness, effectiveness and integration with NATO forces. Part of such training should take place in Ukraine itself, he said.
The president also stressed the need to ensure continued financial support for Ukraine’s military needs, highlighting Lithuania’s commitment to allocate at least 0.25 percent of its GDP as an example.
Regarding Ukraine’s prospects for EU membership, the Lithuanian president noted that early 2030 could be a potential target date for accession, with the first cluster of negotiations possibly opening in the coming weeks.
In addition to the leaders of Lithuania and Ukraine, the discussion was joined by the presidents of Finland and Latvia, as well as the prime ministers of Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Norway, Spain, and Sweden, President of the European Council António Costa, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
At the beginning of his visit, Nausėda lit a candle at the Memorial for the Fallen Defenders of Ukraine. Later, a meeting with the President of Ukraine is scheduled in the Nordic-Baltic (NB8) format.
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