Ukraine must be allowed into NATO, Lithuanian defence minister says

Lithuania’s top defence official warned that Europe and the West could not afford to under-supply Ukraine in its effort to defeat Russia — and insisted again that there could be no equivocation over allowing the country to join the NATO alliance.

In an interview with Euronews, Laurynas Kasčiūnas said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s “victory plan” for Ukraine includes NATO membership as a top objective.

“Lithuania has always supported Ukraine’s invitation into NATO, because in our understanding, you cannot send the message to Russia that they have at least informal veto power on NATO’s enlargement,” he said.

“It’s the biggest mistake. A Ukrainian nation which fights for their independence but also fights for our security deserves the right to self-determination — which organisation, which community to choose for the future, for their children, for future generations.”

“An invitation is not membership, but it’s a point of no return. It’s irreversibility. So I think we can do this move. At least an invitation,” Kasčiūnas explained.

While Ukraine was promised a “bridge to membership” at NATO’s 75th anniversary summit this summer, the US emphasised that this was a long-term goal rather than a guarantee.

But Kasčiūnas argued that those in the West who argue supporting Ukraine may provoke Russia have already been proven wrong.

“We Baltics always said to give more weapons to Ukraine for deterrence,” Kasčiūnas told Euronews. “If Ukraine will be strong, Russia will be deterred. And we heard a lot of voices from our friends: ‘Look, if you give the weapons to Ukraine, it will escalate, it will provoke.’ And we gave not enough, and you see what’s happened.”

“Doing nothing is escalatory. Thinking that your support to Ukraine can escalate the situation is a mistake. And I hope we will understand our mistakes.”

Watch the full interview in the video player above.