Lithuania-Poland unity 'vital' in face of Russian aggression, Nauseda tells Duda

VILNIUS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, on Monday that he expects the two neighboring countries to remain united in defense and security in the face of Russia's continued invasion of Ukraine.

At the start of his two-day visit to Poland, Nauseda met with Duda to discuss "bilateral cooperation in security and defense, the impact of Russia's war in Ukraine on the security of the region, assistance to Ukraine, and its reconstruction", the Lithuanian president's office said in a press release.

At the meeting, Nauseda "underlined that close cooperation between Lithuania and Poland in the fields of security and defense, coordination of actions and joint representation of regional security interests in international formats are critically important in the current geopolitical context".

According to the president, "unity between Lithuania and Poland is vital in the face of Russia’s aggression".

"Together we are stronger and more secure. Only by acting as one can we ensure security in our countries and across the region. Poland is a committed ally of Lithuania. I highly value our working together and believe that we will continue to stand united," he said. 

The Lithuanian and Polish leaders agreed on the need to continue military assistance to Ukraine because the arming of Ukrainians will eventually determine the outcome of the war, according to the press release.

The presidents also discussed rebuilding Ukrainian cities and infrastructure destroyed by the Russian forces.

Nauseda said that "both Lithuania and Poland will actively engage in the reconstruction process and will cooperate in the rebuilding projects."