Lithuania, USA to discuss suspension of arms supplies to Ukraine – FM
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said that Lithuania will discuss this issue with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Delfi said on Wednesday.
"We have not received any additional signals from the new administration that they intend to provide additional support. The support that is being provided is extremely important, and we will continue to negotiate with the United States about some weapons systems, certain resources that Ukraine really needs in terms of air defense, missiles of air defense systems, but also about some other areas," the publication said, citing Budrys.
Budrys said Lithuania "supported, supports and will support Ukraine" and will call on others to do so because it is "just, important from the point of view of interests and in general from the point of view of morality, as well as for all other reasons."
"We will do this as the Republic of Lithuania, which we have committed to do for the next ten years, and I will call on other countries, EU partners, at the next meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council to do so," the minister said.
Budrys said that even if the United States does not resume the suspended arms deliveries, other NATO countries can provide "substantial support."
"Given that, excluding the United States, NATO countries as a whole... plan to allocate EUR 35 billion this year, this almost corresponds to the figure that we committed to allocate together with the United States at the Washington summit a year ago – 40 billion," the head of diplomacy said.