„I am indeed in favour of involving all interested parties in the process, but this is a decision made by the Seimas,“ the country's leader told Žinių Radijas.
However, the president assures that by suspending further consideration of the LRT law amendments, which were organised in a hurry before the holidays and involved experts in the discussion, the legislative process should be much smoother.
„The State Audit Office identified specific problems in both the activities and finances of LRT, which were made public, and deliberations began, with discussions arising primarily between the LRT administration and the LRT Council.
And that discussion took on such a heated form that it suggests that mutual communication is quite complicated. Therefore, I would examine the issue through this prism.
This is not about what should or should not be removed. This is about ensuring that LRT's finances are used properly, as is the case with any use of finances in other institutions, and that the questions raised must be answered,“ said Nausėda.
„And as for how the legislative process will proceed... That is why we have paused the process, so that it can be normal and civilised, and so that there is enough time to involve experts in the discussion. I believe that by involving people in the discussion, it will be impossible to ignore their comments, and this legislative process will only benefit from it,“ he added.
He could go to Kapčiamiestis himself
On Tuesday, Nausėda also touched on other current issues in the country on Žinių Radijas. For example, amid continued outrage from some Kapčiamiestis residents over plans to build a military training ground near the town, the president said he would not rule out visiting and speaking with concerned residents and answering their questions if necessary.
„If people have questions, they can be answered by both the minister of national defence and the prime minister. I do not rule out the possibility of coming myself, if there is a desire, to meet, discuss all the problematic issues, and provide answers,“ said the head of state.
According to the president, an additional training ground is necessary to ensure the effective functioning of the Lithuanian Armed Forces (LAF). In addition, he emphasised that more training grounds in the country are essential to attract allied forces to Lithuania.
„Yes, the army does not fight and spends most of its time working in peacetime conditions, but to achieve the highest level of professionalism in the army, training grounds, training, and exercises are necessary,“ said the country's leader.
„That is why our allies say that there could be more training grounds in Lithuania if Lithuania really wanted to attract more allies to Lithuania. We want to do that, I want to do that.
I want the German Brigade to be stationed in Lithuania until 2027, and I want the United States battalions to remain here on a rotational basis. We are making every effort to achieve this, but people need to understand that the right conditions are necessary for this,“ he explained.
Nausėda hopes that the concerned community will be reassured. However, according to the president, this will require the understanding of both the authorities and the local population.
„We have good examples – the situation in the Šalčininkai district and the situation at the Rūdninkai training ground. This shows that with goodwill on both sides, all issues can be resolved most beneficially – the community would not be disadvantaged, and the state's security priorities would be preserved,“ the country's leader emphasised.
Assessment of negotiations on Ukraine
As Washington continues to try to take the lead in negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine caused by Russia, President Nausėda said he remains cautious about the possible outcomes of this process. According to him, Moscow's limited response does not allow for complete optimism.
„So far, I am quite cautious about the outcome of this possible process. In any case, I believe that the coming weeks will answer the questions, because what is happening now, after Donald Trump meets with President Zelensky, and later, what will happen in other formats, will very clearly show whether Russia wants peace and is ready for normal negotiations, or whether it is ready to torpedo this negotiation process,“ said Nausėda.
The country's leader said he appreciates the efforts of the United States (US) and Ukraine in demonstrating diplomacy and flexibility in the pursuit of peace. However, he stressed that the Kremlin's response has been minimal.
„So far, we have seen a minimal response from the Kremlin, which does not allow us to be completely optimistic. I believe that there are levers that the US can use to great effect against Russia, and those levers are being used,“ he said.
According to him, Russia is interested in emerging from isolation, but its appetite is unreasonable.
„Their appetites, given that they see some progress on the front, are unreasonable and may mean that one side will find these conditions unacceptable. If the conditions are favourable to Russia, they will be unacceptable to Ukraine, or vice versa,“ he said.