Lithuanian Defense Minister: “kyiv must win the war”
Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said in a statement that many allied countries have recently taken historic decisions to significantly increase their defense spending.
Emphasizing that the Lithuanian government has taken firm steps in defense spending, Anusauskas noted that its goal is to reach 3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Underlining that Russia is a direct and significant long-term threat, Anusauskas continued: “Lithuania shares borders with Kaliningrad and Belarus. Russia’s war against Ukraine shows that the military threat is real. Russia’s aggressive military posture, the intense militarization of the Kaliningrad region represent a really serious threat to Belarus, Lithuania and the region, which are fully integrated into the Russian military system. Therefore, it is of great importance to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and, in particular, its defense position in the Baltic states. NATO must be prepared to respond quickly in the event of a threat.”
Expressing that his country strongly supports Ukraine in achieving victory, Anusauskas said, “Lithuania will support Ukraine. “kyiv must win this war or the security of the entire region will be in jeopardy,” he said.
AGREEMENT WITH BAYKAR
Noting that they are evaluating all possible options in the field of defense acquisition for modernization and capacity building of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, Anusauskas said: “Last year, the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense partnered with Baykar to buy the Bayraktar fighter jet and deliver it to the Ukrainian army with a certain amount of ammunition,” he said.
Expressing that they welcome the leadership of Poland, England and the US in the transfer of tanks, Anusauskas said: “It is extremely important that Germany and other countries with Leopard tanks decide to transfer them to Ukraine. “The Ukrainian Armed Forces must receive all the necessary military support to defeat Russia,” he said.
Bayraktar TB2 SİHAs are actively used by the Ukrainian Army for defense purposes in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. The public organized aid drives in Lithuania, Ukraine, Poland, Latvia, Norway and Canada to purchase Bayraktar TB2s and donate them to the Ukrainian Army.
Baykar did not accept the donations collected from the campaigns organized in Lithuania, Ukraine and Poland, and donated the aid collected for the purchase of Bayraktar TB2 SİHA to cover the humanitarian needs of the Ukrainian people. (AA)