Lithuanian defmin leaves for US to meet security, defense officials

VILNIUS – Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas is leaving for the United States on Tuesday to meet with security and defense officials.

On Friday, he is also scheduled to take part in a conference organized in Washington, DC by the Lithuanian Defense Ministry and the US think tank Atlantic Council.

The conference is held to discuss the agenda of NATO's Vilnius summit in July, the implementation of an enhanced forward presence, and the strengthening of security on the Alliance's eastern flank, the ministry said in a press release.

At the event, the minister "will share his insights on the security situation in the region, collective defense commitments and support to Ukraine", it said.

Lithuania expects that NATO's leaders will decide in Vilnius in July to consolidate the principles of forward defense, which will form the basis for deploying more troops on the eastern flank, commit to increasing defense spending to at least 2 percent of GDP, and agree on a membership perspective for Ukraine.