United to win: Lithuania to provide up to €50 mln in additional military assistance to Ukraine by year's end
Lithuania remains strongly committed to supporting Ukraine in its battle against Russian aggression. As a result, Vilnius plans to increase its aid to Ukraine by an additional 40 to 50 million euros by the end of 2024. This is in addition to the 153 million euros that have already been provided to Kyiv within the past year.
The Minister of Defense of Lithuania, Laurynas Kasčiūnas, reported that, according to LRT.
One major focus of this aid is to help produce the drone-missile system "Palianytsia," for which Lithuania provides 10 million euros. The development of this complex, located in Ukraine, will significantly enhance Ukraine's defense capabilities.
In addition, Lithuania plans to transfer to Ukraine:
- radars,
- short-range air defense systems,
- demining equipment.
The Minister of Defense stated that they are looking for air defense systems on the market that could be transferred to Ukraine without compromising Lithuania's defense capability.
As Kasčiūnas pointed out, Lithuania follows three fundamental principles when providing military assistance:
1. Minimizing the use of its own resources, with compensation to follow.
2. Focusing on Ukraine's future needs to ensure that the aid is effective and relevant.
3. Developing its own defense industry, which plays a significant role in cooperation with Ukraine.
It's worth mentioning that Lithuanian drones are already proving their effectiveness during testing at Ukrainian test sites.
Out of the six Lithuanian companies that participated in the tests, five successfully completed all stages and secured contracts to supply drones for Ukraine's armed forces.
For reference:
Lithuania not only offers substantial material assistance but also consistently upholds its dedication to supporting Ukraine.
The Lithuanian government has committed to annually allocate at least 0.25% of its GDP for military aid to Ukraine, which amounts to about 190 million euros. In total, since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, Lithuania has provided Ukraine with aid equivalent to 2% of its GDP.
Moreover, in August, Lithuania handed over a new aid package for the Ukrainian military.
In addition, by the end of this fall, Lithuania plans to transfer more than 5,000 drones to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of military assistance. Vilnius will also soon provide Kyiv with a number of weapons.
