NB8 countries to start developing Ukrainian brigade this year - Lithuanian advisor

VILNIUS - Lithuania and other Nordic and Baltic countries should start developing a Ukrainian brigade this year, but the initiative will take a number of years to implement, Asta Skaisgiryte, President Gitanas Nauseda's chief foreign policy advisor, said on Tuesday.

"The aim is to start work this year," Skaisgiryte told the Ziniu Radijas radio station.

"This will probably be a multi-year effort, but we want to get started as soon as possible," she added.

Skaisgiryte was referring to the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) initiative "to provide equipment and training for a scalable brigade-sized unit" in Ukraine, announced on Monday, the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The details have yet to be worked out, but Skaisgiryte said the initiative was in response to a request from Ukraine.

"This initiative responds to Ukraine's request. Ukraine is asking for its military units to be equipped and trained by allies," the advisor said.

"This is, first and foremost, a political initiative, but military planners should now work out in great detail how this would be scheduled over time and what each country would specifically contribute," she added.

The NB8 group of countries is among Ukraine's strongest supporters in Europe.