Lithuania Vows to Keep Fighting for Ukraine’s NATO Membership
Lithuania “will never give up” on Ukraine joining NATO, Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said, as debate over Kyiv’s membership intensifies ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague, The Gaze reports, citing Politico.
Amid fears of a new “axis” between Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, Šakalienė warned: “The new axis of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran are cooperating very efficiently in their plan to end the current world order.”
Despite skepticism from some Western politicians and attempts to sideline Ukraine at NATO meetings, Šakalienė stressed: “If anyone else besides the alliance decides who is the member of alliance, then the credibility of the alliance is seriously breached.”
Lithuania, one of NATO’s most exposed members, pushed hard to ensure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was invited to the summit. “I would not support not having him in The Hague,” Šakalienė said. Kyiv confirmed on Tuesday that Zelenskyy had received an invitation.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi welcomed the move: “It is important for us that the outcome of this summit sends a signal of strength and unity, including about Ukraine.”
Šakalienė also called for boosting NATO defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2030—two years earlier than currently proposed. “That would be a victory for all of us,” she said, stressing that rebuilding Ukraine’s army must be based on “real capabilities.”
She added that NATO’s newly approved capability targets must be met urgently: “Our region, the northeastern flank of NATO, feels that it must come sooner.”
On U.S. involvement, Šakalienė remained cautiously optimistic: “The message from the United States is very consistent, that critical support for Europe is going to be provided no matter what,” but noted NATO would soon establish a review mechanism for any future U.S. troop withdrawals.
As The Gaze previously reported, NATO allies are preparing to discuss whether defense support for Ukraine can count toward a newly proposed 5% GDP defense spending target, as the alliance attempts to present a unified front at the upcoming summit in The Hague later this month.