Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda announced that the Baltic nation is ready to send its troops to the post-ceasefire mission in Ukraine, Bloomberg Television reported on March 21.
The proposal for an international peacekeeping force has gained traction recently, as European nations prepare to take a more prominent role in Ukraine's defense amid the unpredictability of further American support.
"My country is ready to provide the necessary support," Nauseda told Bloomberg Television.
"We are talking about very concrete numbers of our troops, but there should be a commitment from all countries in this coalition to provide this support," Nauseda added.
European leaders are planning to meet next week in Paris to discuss further support for Ukraine as Europe becomes increasingly concerned it will be excluded from any negotiations involving the Kremlin and the U.S. on ending the war.
The Lithuanian president praised Donald Trump's "frank intentions" on ending the war in Ukraine but noted that Russia has only imitated the commitment to achieve peace during the negotiations
"So far, Russia is imitating the negotiations, talking about a possible peace and possible ceasefire, but they are not even ready to keep the ceasefire as promised not to attack, not to strike critical infrastructure," Nauseda said.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Lithuania has been one of Ukraine's most vocal backers.
The Baltic state ranks among Europe's top defense spenders, allocating 2.85% of GDP to defense in 2024, according to NATO estimates. Vilnius plans to increase that figure to between 5% and 6% from 2026 to 2030.
James Rogers
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