Lithuania is ready to send its troops to Ukraine. He is waiting for a move from Kiev

Lithuania wants to strengthen its military support for Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed sending European troops to Ukraine, although other countries are afraid of provoking a direct confrontation with Russia. Ingrida Simonyte told the Financial Times that she had parliament's consent to send troops to Ukraine for training purposes, which her government had previously announced, but Kiev had not yet asked for it.

The Lithuanian Prime Minister admitted that she was aware that Russia would consider this move a provocation. – If we only thought about the Russian reaction, we wouldn't be able to send anything. Every other week you hear that someone will be attacked with a nuclear weapon, Simonyte said. The head of the Lithuanian government does not expect that Russia would be able to use nuclear weapons because it would be hit by radioactive fallout. “Most of the time the winds blow from west to east,” she said.

Lithuania has no intention of helping Ukraine with mobilization. “It would be illegal.”

According to Symonyte, Russia is intensifying attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure such as power plants, schools and hospitals. – He is trying to provoke a new wave of people fleeing Ukraine because there are no basic facilities and services – she said. The Prime Minister of Lithuania denied that her country was helping Ukrainians of military age return to the country. – We will not organize deportations or look for Ukrainian men in Lithuania, because this would be illegal, Symonyte explained.

The head of the Lithuanian government added that the European Union guaranteed them protection until March 2025. Symonyte also noted that permanent residence rights could be denied to those who evaded military service. The Lithuanian Prime Minister was “willing to help Ukraine to ensure its potential to renew its armed forces and give rest to people who have been fighting for a long time.”