Lithuanian Defense Minister arrives in Ukraine, meets with Zelenskyy
Minister of National Defense of Lithuania Laurynas Kasčiūnas (flickr.com)
Minister of National Defense of Lithuania Laurynas Kasčiūnas visited Ukraine for the first time in his new position. He has already met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss Lithuania's support, according to LRT.
"The visit has already begun, I have just met with President Zelenskyy. We had a constructive and good meeting, and we will continue our work. I presented our entire support package, I want to say that it is larger than we planned, and it will be even larger - we will explore all ways and opportunities for its further increase," he said.
The minister also presented Lithuania's plans to Zelenskyy to deploy combat drones and a mine clearance coalition.
He added that within Lithuania's three-year program to assist Ukraine worth 200 million euros, 84 million euros have already been allocated - 20 million euros more than planned.
"I also presented the idea of a drone program, within which we will create our own industry, but we still need to work out the legal frameworks. We will supply drones to Ukrainians, who will then test them in combat," Kasčiūnas said.
Lithuania's assistance to Ukraine
Lithuania has been one of Ukraine's most active allies since the full-scale Russian invasion began. It provides military assistance to Ukrainian defenders and supports the country's membership in the European Union and NATO.
In January, Lithuania approved a long-term assistance package for Ukraine worth 200 million euros, as President Gitanas Nauseda announced during his visit to Kyiv.
In early April, Lithuania announced plans to purchase nearly 3,000 FPV drones for the Ukrainian army. 2 million euros will be allocated from the Lithuanian budget for this purpose.
Ukraine and Lithuania also plan to sign a security agreement. In early April, Ukrainian and Lithuanian delegations held a meeting to determine the schedule for working on the deal.
