Budrys: The transatlantic link and support for Ukraine are conerstones of European securityEuropean UnionMultilateral RelationsNATO and International SecuritySituation in Ukraine

On 30 May, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys welcomed the participants of the spring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Vilnius. In his speech, the head of Lithuania's diplomacy emphasized that the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara would be a crucial test for the alliance's unity, credible deterrence, and long-term support for Ukraine.

"The Ankara summit must send a clear message to both our allies and our adversaries: NATO remains united, strong, and capable of defending its people, its territory, and its values. In geopolitical processes, there will always be ups and downs. The key is wisdom and determination to stay on the right side of history," said Budrys.

According to the Minister, recent drone incidents in the Baltic states and the territory of other allies, as well as the attack in Romania, clearly show that these are not isolated cases, but targeted activities of Russia and Belarus aimed at testing our resilience and deterring support for Ukraine.

"Lithuania is consistently enhancing its air defence by investing in capacities, improving procedures, and expanding legal regulation. However, the scale of these threats also requires collective solutions: we need to strengthen NATO's vigilance measures, transit from air policing to real air defence, and swiftly implement the Eastern Flank Deterrence initiative," said Budrys.

According to the Minister, the transatlantic bond is the foundation of our security. A strong US military and political stance in Europe is irreplaceable. But Europe also needs to take greater responsibility: there is an urgent need to increase defence investment and to strengthen the European defence industry in real terms. We can't afford the luxury of waiting, according to Budrys.

The Minister also stressed the need to increase support for Ukraine, which not only defends its freedom but is also a cornerstone of the future European security architecture. Therefore, support for Ukraine must be long-term, sustainable, and based on real capacities. It is also necessary to learn from the Ukrainian experience and integrate it into your defence planning.

"Ukraine's EU membership would be the strongest non-military security guarantee for both Ukraine and Europe as a whole. Ankara must send a clear message: NATO remains united, strong, and ready to defend every centimeter of the Alliance," said Budrys.

The Minister thanked the members of the NATO PA for their consistent work in strengthening societal resilience and for their political support for the solutions necessary to ensure credible collective security.

The spring session of the NATO PA takes place in the Seimas from 29 May to 1 June 2026.
The meeting brings together nearly 300 parliamentarians from 32 NATO member countries and about 80 representatives from 22 partner countries and international organisations.

The session focuses on the transatlantic unity, strengthening collective defence, support for Ukraine, resilience to hybrid threats, defence funding, and the rapid integration of defence innovations into NATO's defence plans. This high-level political event consolidates Lithuania's role as an active and reliable member of the transatlantic community, seeking to make a significant contribution to strengthening the Alliance's parliamentary diplomacy component.

Photos: The Office of the Seimas/O. Posaškova