We must do homework to deter Russia, declarations won' be enough - Lithuanian FM

VILNIUS - NATO needs to go beyond public statements in terms of its defense investment commitments to deter Russia, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said after his recent meeting with his Dutch counterpart Caspar Veldkamp in The Hague, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

"The Alliance needs real capabilities to deter Russia, and to have them we need to do our homework. Declarations alone will not be enough," Budrys was quoted as saying in the ministry's statement.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the two ministers discussed bilateral political and economic cooperation, support to Ukraine, the outcome of the NATO summit in The Hague, EU enlargement issues and the situation in the Middle East.

"According to the minister, the agreement reached on allocating 5 percent of GDP for defense is a major step forward for the Alliance as a whole, but it is important that it does not remain on paper. All NATO allies need to step up their defense spending and work towards the implementation of NATO's capability plans," Lithuania's top diplomat said.

At the meeting, Budrys highlighted the close partnership between Lithuania and the Netherlands in the field of security and thanked the Netherlands for its significant contribution to strengthening the security of NATO's eastern flank by deploying troops to the region.

The Netherlands was the first country to contribute to the implementation of the rotational air defense model in Lithuania and is also sending troops to the international NATO battalion in Lithuania.

During the meeting, Budrys also welcomed the growing cooperation in the field of economy and underlined that the Netherlands is the second foreign country in terms of investment in Lithuania.

The minister also stressed the need to tighten the existing sanctions against Russia and Belarus, saying that the EU must adopt as soon as possible the 18th sanction package, which would "deal a painful blow to the aggressor's economy and its ability to continue its aggression".