2024-04-26 20:05:55
“I do not judge in any way, I do not interfere in the election campaign. We have a considerable amount of people and the choice is certainly possible in Lithuania. I really wish people to make the right decisions for them”, said D. Grybauskaitė to journalists in Vilnius on Friday.
ELTA reminds that the Lithuanian presidential elections will be held on May 12, 2024. 8 candidates will compete for the post of the head of the country.
Assessed the third-year war in Ukraine: it is largely the West’s fault
President Dalia Grybauskaitė, who led Lithuania for two terms, emphasizes that the fact that the war caused by Russia continues in Ukraine for the third year is largely the fault of the West.
“The fact that Ukraine has been at war for the third year is an indicator that everything is too late – not only the last (US aid – ELTA) package, but also our reaction in general is late, insufficient,” D. Grybauskaitė told reporters on Friday.
“And we, the West, are largely to blame that such a war happened, that such a war is going on and that there are so many destructions and deaths,” she added.
The US House of Representatives on Saturday approved billions in aid to Ukraine attacked by Russia. Parliamentarians adopted the relevant draft law, which provides for the allocation of 61 billion euros to Kyiv. dollars (57 billion euros). The package also includes urgently needed weapons for defense against Russia. This decision was also approved by the US Senate.
US President Joe Biden signed a law on Wednesday that will provide Ukraine with 61 billion dollars. US dollars in military aid, and the Pentagon hastened to announce that 1 billion is already on its way to Kyiv. A package worth US dollars, which includes the necessary ammunition for air defense and artillery systems. However, this decision to allocate a support package to Ukraine has been stuck in the House of Representatives since February.
February 24 the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine was celebrated.
He warns about the outcome of the US presidential election: it will not end very well in relation to Europe
President Dalia Grybauskaitė is convinced that the outcome of the presidential elections of the United States of America (USA) this fall will be a challenge for the European Union (EU). The politician who led the country for two terms has no doubt that the EU will have to become more independent in matters of security and defense.
“Just as the elections in the USA will end, they will not end very well in relation to Europe. Because, (seeing – ELTA) completely objectively – the American society is divided, there is still a desire to close in on the continent. This will only increase in the coming decades,” said D. Grybauskaitė on Friday at the conference “Lithuania in the European Union: 20 years of membership experiences and perspectives” dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Lithuania’s EU membership.
“It doesn’t matter what the elections will be, I don’t want to criticize one or the other (candidate – ELTA), but both options are kind of different, risky and unfavorable for us,” said the president.
Therefore, the former head of the country noted, Europe will be forced to take more and more responsibility for its own security.
“The EU will have to turn into a defense and security organization, whether we like it or not. And not only Putin will help us to do this, but also America”, said D. Grybauskaitė.
ELTA reminds that on November 5 of this year The 60th presidential election will be held in the USA.
D. Grybauskaitė on Article 5 of NATO: regional agreements are becoming more important
Dalia Grybauskaitė, who led Lithuania for two terms, says that regional defense agreements are particularly important for the country at the moment. According to her, it is the partners who have concluded separate regional agreements that would be the first to come to Lithuania’s aid in the event of an attack. D. Grybauskaitė considers that waiting for the entire NATO bloc to defend Lithuania may take longer than the former commander of US forces in Europe, General Ben Hodges, has mentioned.
“If someone would like to know if there is Article 5 at all, it is clear that regional agreements would first emerge in the situation and we would first be helped not by NATO as an organization, but by a separate group of willing countries. (…) And until the others come – as Ben Hodges says – two weeks – I’m afraid it could be worse”, said D. Grybauskaite.
“Roughly speaking – do you understand that Article 5 is a permission, not a commitment?” Permission to defend does not imply obligation. The commitment is (undertaken – ELTA) on a voluntary basis,” said the politician.
“This is political will, not automaticity. (…) It is very important to understand this and have no illusions”, added the former head of the country.
D. Grybauskaitė also pointed out that recently global international organizations have been weakening all over the world.
“Global institutions are unfortunately degrading, while regional centers and organizations are rising. Be it the African continent, or the Americans who are isolating themselves, or Europe, now, unfortunately, is the period when regional agreements become more important. They can be really implemented, unlike the international agreements of the United Nations, European Union or NATO (agreements – ELTA)”, said D. Grybauskaitė.
ELTA reminds that the first element of the German brigade arrived in Lithuania at the beginning of April – over 20 soldiers who will be responsible for planning the brigade’s transfer to Lithuania and coordinating the requirements for military infrastructure. Also, by the end of the year, the primary element of the headquarters, which will be raised, will help with the transfer of German soldiers to the country.
In total, it is intended to transfer about 5 thousand people to Lithuania. Soldiers and civilians of the German brigade. Some of them will come with their families.
It is planned that the majority of the brigade will be transferred to Lithuania by 2026. According to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, the brigade will gain full operational capacity in 2027.
Berlin undertook to deploy a brigade-sized military unit in Lithuania in the summer of 2022 – such an agreement is provided for in the communique signed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Gitan Nausėda.
2024-04-26 20:05:55