Lithuania's chief of defense: evil forces never sleep

VILNIUS - Evil forces never sleep, therefore Lithuanian soldiers must be ready to defend their country, Chief of Defense General Raimundas Vaiksnoras said on Friday as he paid tribute to troops killed in Lithuania's struggle for freedom.

"Today's geopolitical situation shows that evil forces never sleep as they want more and more lands, they are envious that others are living well. We, Lithuania, can also become their target," Vaiksnoras said, addressing members of the Grand Duke Gediminas Staff Battalion.

"The heroic Ukrainian people are fighting against the same evil we faced 106 years ago, and that evil is Russia, it has not changed, it continues to pursue its aggressive policy, it invents its own security requirements, its own security architecture, causing suffering for people who love freedom and democracy," he underlined.

During a solemn formation on the territory of the Grand Duke Gediminas Staff Battalion, a commemorative plaque was unveiled, dedicated to soldiers who sacrificed their lives for Lithuania's independence in 1919-1923, and their names were read out.

The reading of the names of fallen soldiers will take place until January 10 at the existing army units that continue the tradition of inter-war regiments and are named after these regiments.

"In order to maintain our independence, we need to remember the heroes who died for our freedom (...). To say it loudly that the fact that we are free and independent does not mean anything. Freedom must be cherished, freedom must be defended, and today, in today's context, it is particularly important not to forget our heroes," the commander told reporters later, asked about the meaning of the commemoration.

On Sunday, troops from the Air Force will lay flowers at the monument in the courtyard of the Vytautas the Great War Museum in Kaunas, and the names of fallen soldiers will be read out at the Duke Vaidotas Infantry Battalion on Monday as another commemorative plaque will be unveiled there.

A separate commemorative event will be held at the Rukla Garrison, and a commemorative plaque will be unveiled at the Grand Duke Butigeidis Dragoons Battalion on January 10.

The Freedom Struggles is a historic period in Lithuania when freedom defenders were fighting against the Bolsheviks, the Bermontians and the Poles as they tried to prevent Lithuania from consolidating its independence declared on February 16, 1918. The fighting took place mainly between 1919 and 1920.