Ahead of the second day of the NATO summit in The Hague, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stressed the vital role of continued U.S. support in helping Ukraine resist Russian aggression. He warned against Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s strategy of advancing military gains while feigning interest in peace talks.
Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, Nausėda expressed hope for a bilateral meeting between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump. He emphasized the importance of ongoing communication between the United States and Ukraine to keep allies informed about the rapidly evolving situation on the ground.
“The situation is changing — and not always for the better,” Nausėda noted. “Russia is pushing forward, trying to seize more Ukrainian territory. Putin’s strategy seems to be to imitate negotiations while simultaneously continuing military offensives. This approach is not honest, and we must resist it.”
Nausėda also addressed NATO’s goal to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP among member countries, calling it an urgent necessity for Lithuania.
“We don’t even need a transition period — we’re ready to act now: 4.5% this year, and next year we plan to spend 5.25% of GDP. We will maintain this level of spending until 2030,” he said.
The NATO summit in The Hague continues to focus on boosting defense budgets, strengthening the defense industry across member states, and maintaining strong support for Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression.
