Latest news with #GitanasNausėda
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lithuanian president criticises German chancellor for inaction on Russia
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has criticised Western leaders, in particular German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, for not fulfilling threats of sanctions against Russia for the war it unleashed in Ukraine. Source: Nausėda in an interview with German tabloid Bild, as reported by European Pravda Details: When asked if Merz undermined the credibility of Europe, Nausėda replied: "Of course. It's a problem". Quote: "And this affects not only the credibility of our sanctions, but also the credibility of all our measures against Russia and our support for Ukraine." More details: After a visit to Kyiv last month, Merz, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, called on Russia to agree to a 30-day truce. The leaders threatened sanctions in case of refusal. Russia ignored the call, but no new sanctions followed. "We have often stated that we will support Ukraine and supply combat aircraft, long-range missiles and ammunition," Nausėda added. "But we are not able to fulfil these promises." Nausėda emphasised that Ukrainians need equipment and ammunition now, not tomorrow. Background: After talks with US President Donald Trump, Merz emphasised the shared responsibility of Berlin and Washington to increase pressure on Russia. During the meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, Merz avoided direct confrontation with the US president but gently emphasised that Germany stands with Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lithuanian president criticises Merz over inaction on Russia
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has spoken out against the failure of Western leaders to follow through on threats of sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine. Commenting on whether German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had undermined Europe's credibility, Nausėda told the Sunday edition of the Bild newspaper: "Absolutely. That is a problem." "And it doesn't just affect the credibility of our sanctions, but the credibility of all our measures towards Russia and our support for Ukraine," the president said in remarks published on Sunday. Following a visit last month to Kiev, Merz, together with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, called on Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire. The leaders threatened sanctions in the event of a refusal. Russia let the deadline pass - and no new sanctions followed. "We have often announced that we will support Ukraine and supply combat aircraft, long-range missiles and ammunition. But we are not in a position to keep these promises," Nausėda told the newspaper. The Ukrainians need the equipment and ammunition now, not tomorrow, he said, stressing that sanctions against Russia to date have not been sufficiently decisive.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NATO summit must demonstrate Alliance's commitment to Ukraine, say presidents of Lithuania, Poland and Romania
The presidents of Lithuania, Poland and Romania have stated that the NATO summit in The Hague, scheduled for the end of June, must demonstrate the Alliance's commitment to Ukraine. Source: a joint statement from the summit in Vilnius involving leaders of the Bucharest Nine and the Nordic countries, as reported by European Pravda Details: According to the statement by Gitanas Nausėda, Andrzej Duda and Nicușor Dan, who co-chaired the meeting in Vilnius, "the Summit in The Hague must demonstrate NATO's continued support and commitment to Ukraine". Quote: "We stand firm on Allied decision and commitment regarding Ukraine's irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership. Ukraine has the right to choose its own security arrangements and to decide its own future, free from outside interference." Background: On 2 June, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that all NATO member states had agreed on Ukraine's membership, emphasising that this issue cannot be part of any peace negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow. In an interview with ABC News, Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, stated that the United States considers Russia's concerns about NATO expansion fair and is ready to discuss the matter. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
CNN
23-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Germany deploys permanent troops to another country for the first time since World War II
Chancellor Friedrich Merz inaugurated a groundbreaking German brigade in Lithuania that is meant to help protect NATO's eastern flank and declared Thursday that 'the security of our Baltic allies is also our security' as worries about Russian aggression persist. He said Berlin's strengthening of its own military sends a signal to its allies to invest in security. The stationing in Lithuania marks the first time that a German brigade is being based outside Germany on a long-term basis since World War II. 'This is a historic day,' Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said after meeting Merz. 'This is a day of trust, responsibility and action.' Germany has had troops in Lithuania — which borders Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Moscow-allied Belarus — since 2017, as part of efforts to secure NATO's eastern fringe, but the new brigade deepens its engagement significantly. An advance party started work on setting it up just over a year ago and expanded into an 'activation staff' of about 250 people last fall. The 45 Armored Brigade is expected to be up to its full strength of about 5,000 by the end of 2027, with troops stationed at Rukla and Rudninkai. Dozens of military helicopters roared over the central cathedral square in Lithuania's capital, Vilnius, as the inauguration wrapped up on a rainy Thursday afternoon, with hundreds of troops and spectators attending. Merz told the event that 'protecting Vilnius is protecting Berlin.' The deployment in Lithuania has been taking shape as Germany works to strengthen its military overall after years of neglect as NATO members scramble to increase defense spending, spurred by worries about further potential Russian aggression and pressure from Washington. Merz said that, beyond the new brigade, 'Germany is investing massively in its own armed forces.' 'With this, we also want to send a signal to our allies: let us now invest with determination in our own security,' he added. 'Together with our partners, we are determined to defend alliance territory against every — every — aggression. The security of our Baltic allies is also our security.' Shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged to increase Germany's defense spending to the current NATO target of 2% of gross domestic product and announced the creation of a 100 billion-euro ($113-billion) special fund to modernize the Bundeswehr. Germany met that target thanks to the fund, but it will be used up in 2027. Even before it took office earlier this month, the new governing coalition pushed plans through parliament to enable higher defense spending by loosening strict rules on incurring debt. Merz, the first chancellor to have served in the Bundeswehr himself, told parliament last week that 'the government will in the future provide all the financing the Bundeswehr needs to become the strongest conventional army in Europe.' Host Lithuania said in January that it would raise its defense spending to between 5% and 6% of GDP starting next year, from a bit over 3%. That made it the first NATO nation to vow to reach a 5% goal called for by US President Donald Trump. A plan is in the works for all allies to aim to spend 3.5% of GDP on their defense budgets by 2032, plus an extra 1.5% on potentially defense-related things like infrastructure — roads, bridges, airports and seaports. Merz said in Lithuania that those figures 'seem sensible to us, they also seem reachable — at least in the time span until 2032 that has been stipulated.' German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said earlier this week that the plan is to increase defense spending by 0.2 percentage points each year for five to seven years. Merz has plunged into diplomatic efforts to bring about a ceasefire in Ukraine since taking office earlier this month. 'We stand firmly by Ukraine, but we also stand together as Europeans as a whole — and, whenever possible, we play in a team with the US,' he said.
CNN
23-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Germany deploys permanent troops to another country for the first time since World War II
Chancellor Friedrich Merz inaugurated a groundbreaking German brigade in Lithuania that is meant to help protect NATO's eastern flank and declared Thursday that 'the security of our Baltic allies is also our security' as worries about Russian aggression persist. He said Berlin's strengthening of its own military sends a signal to its allies to invest in security. The stationing in Lithuania marks the first time that a German brigade is being based outside Germany on a long-term basis since World War II. 'This is a historic day,' Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said after meeting Merz. 'This is a day of trust, responsibility and action.' Germany has had troops in Lithuania — which borders Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Moscow-allied Belarus — since 2017, as part of efforts to secure NATO's eastern fringe, but the new brigade deepens its engagement significantly. An advance party started work on setting it up just over a year ago and expanded into an 'activation staff' of about 250 people last fall. The 45 Armored Brigade is expected to be up to its full strength of about 5,000 by the end of 2027, with troops stationed at Rukla and Rudninkai. Dozens of military helicopters roared over the central cathedral square in Lithuania's capital, Vilnius, as the inauguration wrapped up on a rainy Thursday afternoon, with hundreds of troops and spectators attending. Merz told the event that 'protecting Vilnius is protecting Berlin.' The deployment in Lithuania has been taking shape as Germany works to strengthen its military overall after years of neglect as NATO members scramble to increase defense spending, spurred by worries about further potential Russian aggression and pressure from Washington. Merz said that, beyond the new brigade, 'Germany is investing massively in its own armed forces.' 'With this, we also want to send a signal to our allies: let us now invest with determination in our own security,' he added. 'Together with our partners, we are determined to defend alliance territory against every — every — aggression. The security of our Baltic allies is also our security.' Shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged to increase Germany's defense spending to the current NATO target of 2% of gross domestic product and announced the creation of a 100 billion-euro ($113-billion) special fund to modernize the Bundeswehr. Germany met that target thanks to the fund, but it will be used up in 2027. Even before it took office earlier this month, the new governing coalition pushed plans through parliament to enable higher defense spending by loosening strict rules on incurring debt. Merz, the first chancellor to have served in the Bundeswehr himself, told parliament last week that 'the government will in the future provide all the financing the Bundeswehr needs to become the strongest conventional army in Europe.' Host Lithuania said in January that it would raise its defense spending to between 5% and 6% of GDP starting next year, from a bit over 3%. That made it the first NATO nation to vow to reach a 5% goal called for by US President Donald Trump. A plan is in the works for all allies to aim to spend 3.5% of GDP on their defense budgets by 2032, plus an extra 1.5% on potentially defense-related things like infrastructure — roads, bridges, airports and seaports. Merz said in Lithuania that those figures 'seem sensible to us, they also seem reachable — at least in the time span until 2032 that has been stipulated.' German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said earlier this week that the plan is to increase defense spending by 0.2 percentage points each year for five to seven years. Merz has plunged into diplomatic efforts to bring about a ceasefire in Ukraine since taking office earlier this month. 'We stand firmly by Ukraine, but we also stand together as Europeans as a whole — and, whenever possible, we play in a team with the US,' he said.
