The eyes of the world on the NATO summit held at the beginning of the war: Leaders will be protected with a steel shield
The tight security measures drew attention ahead of the summit, where NATO leaders will meet tomorrow in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.
Vilnius, which is only 20 miles from Belarus, which opened the gates to Russian forces in the Ukraine war, will host dozens of leaders and high-level names, including President Erdogan and US President Joe Biden. Russia’s decision to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus just before the NATO summit raised concerns as leaders began addressing the city.
Patriot air defense systems are deployed near the border with Belarus.
Leaders of the 31 NATO member countries will discuss their war support plans for Ukraine inside a defensive wall of steel at the summit.
It is reported that NATO has deployed more than 1,000 soldiers in Vilnius to protect the guests who will attend the summit. Patriot and Nasams missile defense systems, fighter jets and special forces will also be active at the summit.
“It is impossible for our skies to remain unprotected while Biden and the leaders of 40 countries arrive,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said.
Among the participants are names such as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Final preparations before the summit have been completed.
WAR PLANES WILL FLY CONTINUOUSLY
France, Finland and Denmark sent fighter jets to Lithuania for the summit, while French and British anti-drone systems were also deployed in Vilnius. Polish helicopters will accompany the German soldiers in charge of guarding the summit.
As part of the security measures for the NATO summit, which will last for two days, the Patriot air defense system has been installed at the Vilnius airport and more than 3,000 Lithuanian soldiers have been deployed.
Among the important agendas of the summit, there are also discussions about Turkey’s objections to Sweden’s NATO membership and the US decision to deliver cluster munitions to Ukraine, which are banned in many countries. The leaders of the NATO countries will sign important decisions on many issues, especially on Ukraine, at the summit in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
The summit will be attended by the heads of state and government of the member states, whose number has increased to 31 with the participation of Finland in April, as well as the leaders of Sweden and Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, who they were invited but not yet approved for membership. (AGENCIES)