During the meeting in Vilnius, they discussed the progress of the Russian war in Ukraine, the security situation in the region and support for Ukraine.
“It is now the responsibility of each EU member state to invest in its own security and Lithuania will continue its efforts to increase defense spending, which is currently 2.5% of gross domestic product. Cooperation between the EU will also and NATO must be smooth to ensure peace and security in Europe,” said the Lithuanian president.
Nausėda said the security situation in the region remains tense and that it is necessary to increase support for Ukraine and look for opportunities to win a quick victory over Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The war will end and Europe will be safe only when Russia withdraws its troops from all occupied territories of Ukraine, Nauseda stressed.
He stressed that Western countries must help Ukraine defeat the Kremlin monster and do it not only with weapons, but also with the training of Ukrainian soldiers.
On the other hand, Brüger admitted that Europe did not switch to a military economy in time, which is why the acquisition of the necessary weapons is delayed.
“We have not moved to a war economy, we are still in a peacetime-focused mode,” the EU military chief told reporters in Vilnius, stressing that society must accept that times have changed and that we must strengthen our industrial capabilities.
A day earlier, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Joseph Borel, admitted that Russia’s war in Ukraine has depleted the bloc’s military stockpiles and demonstrated that it lacks critical capabilities to defend itself. from threats to its borders.
Brüger explained that at EU level “we identify our capability gaps and fill them gradually”.
“For example, Europe lacks strategic transport, space technology is needed, strategic intelligence is needed,” he listed.
“The procedure should be like this: if Lithuania donates tanks to Ukraine, there should be logistical support to replace these things with new ones from European industry,” explained the Austrian general.
The commander of the Lithuanian armed forces, Lieutenant General Valdemārs Rupšis, also acknowledged that the EU must find solutions to strengthen the military industry.
Since Russia’s repeated invasion of Ukraine less than ten months ago, the EU has provided Ukraine with various types of aid worth €1.9 billion.
