Lithuania will seek to secure NATO’s long-term support for Ukraine at summit – Nauseda

VILNIUS – Lithuania is doing its utmost to ensure that the NATO summit in Vilnius becomes a qualitative breakthrough in relations between Ukraine and the Alliance, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said during his meeting with Ruslan Stefanchuk, chairman of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada, on Friday.

“We believe and are doing our utmost to ensure that the NATO Summit in Vilnius manages to agree on long-term practical support for Ukraine from NATO and its allies," the Lithuanian leader said.

During the meeting, Nauseda and Stefanchuk discussed the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, Ukraine’s aspiration for membership in the European Union, Ukraine’s reconstruction and Russia’s accountability.

Nauseda reiterated that Lithuania “is well aware that Ukraine is defending not only its own freedom, but also the freedom and democratic values of the whole of Europe".

He also stressed that Lithuania supported the "peace initiative of the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, which is based on the defense of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

Nauseda reaffirmed Lithuania's strong support to Ukraine on its path towards EU membership and stressed the importance of taking a decision on the launch of Ukraine's EU membership negotiations this year already.

The Lithuanian president and the chairman of Verkhovna Rada also talked about the reconstruction of Ukraine, Russia's accountability for crimes, and the establishment of a special international tribunal.