Europe is unable to defend itself without the United States, and Lithuania must continue to pursue pragmatic, mutually beneficial relations with Washington, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said Tuesday during a working visit to the US capital.
“Lithuania’s national security rests on two pillars – the US and NATO,” Budrys wrote on Facebook. “Maintaining vital ties with the US is the highest priority. There are no alternatives, and there will be none at least in the medium to long term.”
“Without the US, Europe is undefendable,” he added.
Budrys said Europe lacks sufficient conventional forces to deter or stop potential Russian aggression and does not possess the strategic weapons – either nuclear or conventional – needed to provide credible deterrence.
He noted that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed a similar assessment last week, telling members of the European Parliament that Europe cannot defend itself without US assistance.
Budrys said European countries must increase defence spending and develop new security plans but warned against treating those efforts as a viable alternative to US support before they are fully implemented.
“If we want to plan for independent, ‘autonomous’ defence – the idea that ‘we can do it ourselves’ – we should start with nuclear and long-range precision strike capabilities,” he said. “Until then, our leaky conventional capabilities will function alongside the US extended nuclear deterrence.”
The foreign minister said Lithuania and Europe should work to reshape relations with the United States on a pragmatic and mutually beneficial basis to preserve shared geostrategic interests.
“We have to reach an agreement,” Budrys said. “Lithuania has consistently advocated this and will not tire of urging partners to seek a deal that benefits everyone.”
He said Lithuania had taken that approach in resolving past disagreements with Washington over tariffs and support for Ukraine and stressed the importance of avoiding unnecessary escalation while pursuing arrangements that best serve national interests.
Budrys also said Lithuania should support and participate in a US-led initiative to establish a global forum for geostrategic cooperation on critical minerals and resources.
“Lithuania is an excellent partner for secondary processing and a more reliable alternative in supply chains and logistics,” he said, adding that cooperation with the US in this area is “beneficial for Lithuania”.
He said Lithuania is prepared to help reduce Russian and Chinese influence in the sector and to strengthen energy cooperation, while also seeking mutually beneficial partnerships in other fields.
Budrys also argued that turning away from the US in favour of deeper partnerships with China would be a serious mistake.
“One of the greatest short-sightednesses of our time,” he said. “If implemented, it will weaken NATO and the entire West far more than a reshaping of transatlantic ties.”
He said Europe is already a target of China’s growing geoeconomic influence and must build resilience, adding that economic security does not preclude pragmatism. He noted that Lithuania’s trade with China continues to grow.
“The world has never been and never will be an ideal and fair place for everyone, especially for small nations,” Budrys said. “Our task today is to navigate calmly through the strategic environment we are in.”
During his visit to Washington, Budrys is scheduled to attend an international ministerial meeting on critical minerals organised by the US State Department, bringing together delegations from 55 countries. He will also meet senior US administration officials, members of Congress and representatives of nongovernmental organisations and think tanks.
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