„It was Russia that launched a brutal and illegal war against Ukraine. That is why today we must speak not of isolated incidents, but of a new security reality in Europe. The skies over the Baltic states are not safe enough today. The European Union’s eastern border faces increasing pressure every day—from drone incursions to electronic jamming, and from cyberattacks to threats of sabotage against critical infrastructure,“ President Nausėda said at a press conference held at the Presidential Palace.
„We appreciate the clear message of solidarity shown by the European Commission toward the Baltic states. However, today, solidarity is not enough; it must be shown in action. Europe must take swift and concrete action. At the meeting, we agreed that Europe must significantly strengthen security on the Eastern Flank; we must implement the ‘Eastern Flank Watch’ initiative as soon as possible, which includes strengthening air surveillance, anti-drone systems, air defence, military mobility, and situation monitoring capabilities across the entire Eastern Flank,“ he added.
Nausėda made these remarks following a Tuesday meeting with European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen, who is visiting Lithuania, as well as the leaders of Estonia and Latvia—Alar Karis and Edgars Rinkēvičs.
The president also highlighted the need to strengthen the European Drone Defence Initiative.
„Incidents in recent weeks have clearly shown that Europe can no longer afford to be slow to respond to new types of threats. We need modern radars, sensors, interception systems, and close regional coordination,“ the president said.
„The protection of critical infrastructure is no less important; energy networks, interconnections, communication systems, and transport infrastructure must be protected from hybrid and physical threats. This is a matter of security for all of Europe,“ he continued.
In addition, the president emphasised the need to strengthen Europe’s resilience to disinformation and information operations.
„Russia systematically uses lies, manipulation, and intimidation as tools of information warfare, so our response must be coordinated, technological, and long-term,“ stated Nausėda.
As reported by ELTA, airspace violations have recently been recorded in the Baltic states.
As Ukrainian military forces continue drone attacks on Russian territory, the Kremlin is accusing the Baltic states of allegedly allowing their territory to be strategically exploited for Ukrainian military operations.
President Nausėda stated that military manoeuvres by third countries against neighbouring states conducted from Lithuanian territory cannot be tolerated. According to the head of state, such attempts would be considered gross violations of international law and Lithuanian sovereignty.