Lithuania would consider troop deployment to Ukraine upon Kyiv’s request, FM Budrys says
Vilnius would consider deploying troops to Ukraine with its allies in the future if Kyiv were to make such a request, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told LRT TV on Jan. 14.
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 when U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
Budrys said that Lithuania did not rule out such possibilities which were touted at a summit in Paris last year when French President Emmanuel Macron invited Lithuania’s president and others to explore expanded military involvement in Ukraine.
"Lithuania is a security provider in the region, not just a recipient," Budrys said. "If the question arises, I have no doubt that the Lithuanian flag will be there."
"We’d talk with our allies and partners about what it looks like, and we’d talk with Ukraine about what it looks like," he added.
Macron has championed the idea of deploying European troops in Ukraine since early 2024.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and Macron discussed the possibility during a meeting on Dec. 18, and Macron raised the proposal again during a trilateral meeting with Trump on Dec. 7. Trump reportedly expressed interest in European-led ceasefire monitoring.
On Jan. 13, Zelensky and Macron held a phone call to discuss Ukraine’s air defense priorities and the possible deployment of peacekeepers. Both leaders agreed to meet soon to advance plans for securing guarantees for Ukraine.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also expected to visit Ukraine in the coming weeks to discuss the peacekeeping initiative, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 10.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
