Prime Minister’s meeting with President of German Bundestag Bärbel Bas

On Friday, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has met with President of the German Bundestag, Bärbel Bas to discuss the need to continue consistently supporting Ukraine, regional security issues, preparations for the NATO Summit in Vilnius, and the bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and Germany.

‘Our unwavering and steadfast military support to Ukraine sends a clear message to Russia, which is engaged in a destructive wae disregarding civilian lives and accumulating a list of war crimes. This signal emphasizes that Russia will ultimately face defeat in the war it initiated. But Russia will continue to pose a long-term threat to NATO, requiring us to address it by implementing solutions centred around deterrence and bolstering our defence capabilities’, stated Prime Minister Šimonytė.

The decisions taken at the NATO Summit in Vilnius must respond to the changed security situation and not leave Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic future in an uncertain grey area. The long-term investment in security, along with the commitment to increase defence spending are also key.

Ingrida Šimonytė has thanked Germany for their leadership and contribution to strengthening the security of the Baltic region and of the entire NATO alliance, noting the importance of Germany’s direct military presence as the most credible deterrent. For its part, Lithuania is consistently investing to ensure the best possible conditions for Allied troops defending the Alliance in Lithuania, said the Head of the Lithuanian Government.

Prime Minister Šimonytė and Bundestag President Bass have discussed energy cooperation between Lithuania and Germany and the potential for the development of renewable energy sources in the Baltic Sea.

In the face of Russia’s war, there should be no doubt that energy is also part of the security and that dependence on Russian resources must remain a thing of the past.