Lithuania Signals Readiness to Join Potential Peacekeeping Mission in Ukraine

Lithuania is prepared to contribute troops to a possible international peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, President Gitanas Nausėda said on August 20, while stressing that such efforts remain contingent on the establishment of a broader coalition and a sustainable ceasefire.

The Gaze reports this, referring to LRT.

“It is too early to speak about this in detail, because the coalition of those willing to do it has only defined its mandate and will be activated only if peace is ensured. In other words, it will become a guarantor of peace,” Nausėda told reporters.

The Lithuanian leader emphasized that any deployment would fall within the mandate approved by the country’s parliament, the Seimas. 

He noted that Lithuania’s involvement would likely resemble its past contributions to operations such as the NATO mission in Afghanistan, though the final scope could depend on requests from partners.

Nausėda also underscored that Lithuania could be asked to provide support beyond troop deployments if allies consider other forms of assistance more effective.

The discussion over potential European peacekeeping forces comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out sending American ground troops to Ukraine. Speaking earlier this week, Trump said Washington might instead provide support from the air, highlighting U.S. superiority in aerial capabilities.

Karoline Leavitt, a White House spokesperson, reiterated that while ground operations were off the table, “a U.S. presence in the air is an option and a possibility,” leaving open the prospect of American involvement in a different capacity.

As The Gaze reported earlier, Britain has already indicated it is preparing to send personnel to help bolster Ukraine’s air defenses and secure its maritime ports, while making clear its troops would not be deployed to the front lines against Russian forces.