Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, has made a surprise visit to Lithuania, a crucial Kyiv ally amid the conflict against Russia's aggression.
A jet wearing Ukraine's coat of arms landed Zelensky at the airport in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, on Wednesday, January 10. After that, he reportedly said he would go to Estonia and Latvia, the other two Baltic nations, although he did not say when.
War Talks Between Zelensky and Nauseda
In a report by CNN, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that he and Zelensky would meet to discuss the current conflict and Ukraine's integration into the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance.
In light of the ongoing Russian airstrikes on Ukraine at the beginning of this year, Zelenksy said that collaboration with electronic warfare and drones would also be discussed.
While opinions on the matter have changed in the United States, support for Ukraine in the Baltics has stayed strong. In December 2023, the US sent its last shipment of military supplies to Ukraine. This support will continue until the Biden administration's financing proposal, which aims to support Ukraine as it approaches the third year of conflict, is approved by a deeply divided Congress.
The modernization of his country's air defense systems is something that Zelensky has said is very necessary. When asked about the one thing that the Russian government and its allies cannot offer in the near future, Zelensky said it is the updated air defense systems. He made the comment while speaking with Nauseda at a news conference in Vilnius.
"I think you've seen, and journalists know the details, that in the last days of December, the 'holiday' days for us, and in the first days of January, Russia attacked civilian infrastructure, people, kindergartens, schools, electricity," Zelensky stated. "In total, there were 500 missile and drone strikes. We were able to repel an average of 70% of these attacks. Unfortunately, there were casualties. My condolences to those who lost their loved ones."
Ukraine's NATO Membership Ambition
Zelensky last made a state visit to Lithuania in July 2023 as part of his attendance at the annual NATO summit. During his stay there, he advocated for a more transparent process and a set date for his nation to become a member of the alliance.
However, US President Joe Biden said on CNN before the conference that Ukraine could not be admitted to NATO while conflict raged on its land, despite Zelensky's optimism and urgency.
Nevertheless, Ukraine did manage to get a faster track to potential membership. According to NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg, the organization has simplified the membership process for Ukraine by eliminating the Membership Action Plan, a stringent set of reforms that other newly admitted countries were required to undergo to join the alliance.
