Security Signal: Joint NATO Military Parade in Lithuania

On Saturday, November 25, a military parade of Lithuanian forces and NATO units took place in the capital city of Vilnius, marking the 105th anniversary of the restoration of Lithuania's armed forces. This information was reported by LRT.

The parade featured over 1,400 Lithuanian and allied military personnel, including members of the Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup led by Canada deployed in Latvia, and the flag group of the NATO Northeast Multinational Corps.

Over 100 pieces of military equipment were showcased at the parade, including Lithuanian infantry fighting vehicles Vilkas (Wolf), self-propelled howitzers PzH 2000, NASAMS air defense systems, armored all-terrain vehicles JLTV, American tanks Abrams, German tanks Leopard, and others.

Lithuanian Minister of Defense Valdemaras Rupšys stated that the military parade sends a signal of deterrence to the enemy, demonstrating that "we are strong, we are united, and NATO is strong."

"Firstly, we send a safety signal to the people - they are safe. Let's build houses, let's have children, let's have large families, let's live in joy. Let students study, let schoolchildren be happy and peaceful, and let us know that we, as Armed Forces, as soldiers, as allies, are dedicated to the cause of defending our country," Rupšys told journalists ahead of the parade.

It's worth noting that Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabrielius Landsbergis, previously stated that Lithuania intends to significantly strengthen its military alliance with Poland due to the escalating threat from the Russian Federation and the need to consider "worst-case scenarios."

"Now is the time to complete strategic communication projects and significantly enhance military cooperation. Both countries share responsibility for one of NATO's most sensitive points - the Suwalki Corridor," Landsbergis emphasized during the presentation of a 10-point plan to prepare for the growing military threat from Russia.

The minister added that as part of building a new security strategy, Lithuania should strengthen regional partnerships with countries in Northern Europe and the Baltic region and "learn from Ukraine every day, not only at a distance but by being there."

According to Landsbergis, the "U.S. has been and should remain the mainstay of NATO and Lithuania's security," while Germany, by announcing the deployment of its brigade with 5,000 soldiers in Lithuania, "becomes a European strategic pillar of security."