Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has described this week’s special European Council summit as an opportunity for the European Union to show that it can make decisions on the security of the bloc and Ukraine.
Nausėda made the remarks after meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday.
“I think our meeting is a great lead-up to the upcoming European Council summit, where Europe will have the opportunity to show whether it’s just a debate club or whether we can make decisions – first and foremost, on strengthening our defence and, of course, on the 20-billion-euro military aid package for Ukraine, which Lithuania is fully prepared to support,” he said.
EU leaders are set to hold a special European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday to discuss Ukraine and European security. However, Politico has reported that Hungary intends to block the additional 20-billion-euro aid package for Ukraine.
The EU summit comes after US President Donald Trump announced his decision to suspend aid to Ukraine on Monday.
Nausėda and Meloni discussed the importance of ramping up security and defence cooperation, as well as bilateral relations.
The Lithuanian president emphasised that the Italian prime minister is a key figure when it comes to engaging with Washington.
“Prime Minister Meloni’s contribution to strengthening transatlantic relations is very valuable. She can have significant influence over President Trump’s decisions, especially within the G7 format,” he said.
According to Nausėda, he and Meloni share the view that security guarantees without the US are “difficult to implement”.
“On the other hand, we both agree that peace cannot be achieved if it’s imposed on Ukraine under dictated terms. After three years of suffering, Ukraine deserves to participate as an equal partner in peace discussions,” the president said.
“European nations must, without a doubt, stand united with Ukraine and defend its sovereignty through political and other means,” he added.
Following a public spat between the US and Ukrainian presidents in Washington last week, Meloni called for an urgent summit involving the United States and European nations and their allies to discuss Ukraine.
Nausėda said that he did not discuss this proposal with the Italian prime minister but added that the idea of such a meeting “is good and timely”.
Nausėda’s office said in a press release that the president thanked the Italian prime minister for her country’s “significant contribution to regional security, particularly through its participation in the Baltic air policing mission and its role in Lithuania’s rotational air defence model”.
Italy deployed a SAMP/T long-range ground-based air defence system to Lithuania for an exercise in February.
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