Lithuania to send troop contingent to Ukraine matching its Afghan deployment — Nausėda adviser

LRT reported the statement, which came after a videoconference of the coalition of the willing, attended by President Gitanas Nausėda. The discussion focused on next steps to end the war and secure long-term security guarantees for Ukraine.

“Lithuania has made the decision [to send troops]. Specific numbers are under discussion — I won’t disclose them — but one should probably imagine our contribution in Afghanistan. We will move in a similar direction,” Žikevičius said.

During its missions in Afghanistan, Lithuania typically deployed several hundred troops. According to Žikevičius, Lithuanian units will also take part in training Ukrainian service members.

He also commented on recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Washington’s readiness to provide Ukraine with security guarantees.

“Military planning is really gaining momentum, but I won’t reveal details yet. Especially after President Trump’s statement that America will join in providing security guarantees — that’s a huge push, a breakthrough forward. Now we need to figure out how it will look in practice,” Žikevičius noted. “When we talk about Ukraine and reliable security guarantees, we must anticipate how we will ensure security in the air, on land, and at sea.”

• Lithuanian president says coalition of the willing countries must be ready to send troops to Ukraine, with peace talks only on terms favorable to Ukraine and Europe.