Lithuania could deploy several hundred soldiers to Ukraine as part of security guarantees once peace is established, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said Wednesday, following an agreement among Western allies on support for Kyiv.
“I cannot give any specific details, but we are discussing this. We will definitely contribute to the security guarantees,” Kaunas told reporters. “In the event of peace, several hundred soldiers could participate.”
The minister declined to specify what measures Lithuania might take, stressing the rapidly changing geopolitical situation.
“Everything is very dynamic. I would not want to emphasise anything that might later seem like a lie,” Kaunas said. “You can see how the geopolitical situation is changing, how it is shifting in various directions. The most important thing is the common understanding that Lithuania, Europe and America stand together with Ukraine and are making every effort to achieve and ensure peace.”
Ukraine’s Western allies – the so-called “coalition of the willing” – agreed Tuesday on key security guarantees for Kyiv, including a US-led monitoring mechanism and European international forces to be deployed to Ukraine.
The guarantees would take effect only after a ceasefire is reached to end the nearly four-year war triggered by Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, Russia has previously indicated it will not accept any military presence of NATO countries in Ukraine.
Following the meeting, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said security guarantees for Ukraine must be long-term and that Lithuania is ready to contribute its capabilities both on land and at sea.
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