The President at the Baltic Military Conference: Lithuania has chosen to lead by example

President Gitanas Nausėda welcomed participants of the Baltic Military Conference taking place in Vilnius on Thursday.

"Today, I want to stress the need for action. While Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine has just entered its fifth year, Europe is still adapting to a new reality. As the NATO Secretary General has said, today we are not at war - but we are not at peace either. And we must adjust our mindset accordingly," the President said in his video address.

According to the President, the key priorities of European security policy today are strengthening NATO and maintaining transatlantic unity, developing Europe's capabilities and assuming greater responsibility for shared security and defense, as well as building a strong defense industry.

"Transatlantic unity remains the foundation of our Alliance. When NATO invoked Article 5 after the attacks of September 11, European Allies stood alongside the United States. Today, this kind of unity is more important than ever," the President said.

He emphasized that NATO is moving in the right direction by increasing defense spending commitments and strengthening the defense of the eastern flank, as evidenced by the deployment of the German brigade in Lithuania. However, effective deterrence also requires the rapid implementation of these commitments.

"Lithuania has chosen to move faster and lead by example. We are already spending more than 5 percent of GDP on defense. This allows our Armed Forces to grow stronger by the day. We are also developing our national defense industry by cutting red tape and encouraging foreign investors," the President said, adding that, to invest, innovate, and expand, businesses need to know the demand will be there for many years to come.

According to the President, the Baltic Military Conference contributes to Europe's efforts to analyze new threats and prepare to counter them. Today, bold decisions are necessary to avoid falling behind Russia, whose innovation is driven by real combat experience.

President Gitanas Nausėda is the patron of the Baltic Military Conference.