In Romania, Gitanas Nausėda emphasized the importance of learning from Ukraine’s experience and the need to deepen cooperation with Ukraine in the field of defense innovation

On Wednesday, Gitanas Nausėda joined other leaders for a working lunch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the Bucharest Nine and Nordic Summit in Romania.

According to the President, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East highlights the importance of learning from Ukraine's experience and the need to increase support for Ukraine.

"We should learn from the lessons Ukraine has gained on the battlefield. At the same time, rising tensions with Iran risk diverting attention and resources away from Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression. We must continue to increase pressure on Russia through every means-by stepping up economic sanctions and further strengthening Ukraine's armed forces," the President pointed out.

The Lithuanian leader also supported the Ukrainian President's call for urgent military assistance, emphasizing that the financial burden should be shared more evenly among allies.

"The EU's €90 billion loan for Ukraine is an important contribution, but it is not sufficient to close existing gaps. I hope that the remaining funds from the European Peace Facility, amounting to approximately €6.6 billion, will be approved soon. Since the beginning of the war, Lithuania's military support for Ukraine has already exceeded €1 billion. We will continue to address Ukraine's most urgent military needs by allocating an additional €224 million in military assistance this year," the Head of State said.

The President also stressed that Europe needs to accelerate defense production and deepen cooperation with Ukraine in the field of defense innovation. According to Gitanas Nausėda, a decisive contribution from the European Union to legal and licensing frameworks, including technology transfer, is essential to speed up joint production.