Lithuania to supply Ukraine with weaponry elements – Defence Minister Olekas to Belsat
Lithuania has been lending consistent support to Ukrainians since the protests on Maidan started. Ordinary people sent food, warm clothes and medicines to the ATO zone. The state authorities didn’t stay on the sidelines as well: the Defence Ministry alone has granted the aid passing 40,000 euro to Ukraine’s army. After Lithuanian top officials returned from Kyiv, they even decided to assist them with weaponry. Defence Minister Juozas Olekas, a person who has a direct say in such matters, granted an interview to Belsat TV.
The state authorities have recently expressed their readiness to provide support to Ukraine even using your own stock resources. What way will it be organised taking into account Lithuania’s intention to increase spending on defence?
On the way to our independence we also had to ride the storm. Last Monday President [Grybauskaite] and I were in Kyiv. We were talking about Ukraine’s needs, about how we could help it, I visited wounded and ill soldiers in Central hospital, I saw young men with their lims amputated, with head wounds. I believe we should keep helping Ukraine and do all we can – provide humanitarian aid, rehabilitate injured Ukrainians in Lithuania. We also specified what military aid they needed – munition, etc. Now we are agreeing with the Ukrainian side the process of sending what we have to them. We showed our political will that we would be helping Ukraine.
Petro Poroshenko stated that Ukraine and Lithuania had reached an agreement on supplies of ‘elements of weaponry’. Does Lithuania have the right to independently take such a decision being a NATO member?
NATO is to agree that each country takes its own decision on assisting Ukraine. No common decision or agreement on its volumes is needed. A lot of countries are helping Ukraine, including Lithuania.
The idea of creating a joint Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian military brigade has been in the air since 2011. When will this project turn into reality and what goals does it pursue?
I should make a correction – we started the negotiations on the subject in 2007. The idea was based on Lithuanians’ learning by experience of Poles. In 2004, when we entered the EU and NATO, we established the Lithuanian-Polish battalion and on its basis we were training our militarymen, officers and soldiers. The idea was that Ukrainians, our friends, could use our experience of organising military headquarters, taking decisions, training our troops. On September, 19 we signed the appropriate agreement in Poland, now working conferences are being held. I think that we will be able to send our officers to serve at this joint headquarters of the brigade in the middle of 2015.
Can this military formation take part in the actions in Ukraine?
According to our agreement, this brigade or its part might be involved in some operations provided that the UN takes a positive decision.
You have already mentioned the ways of Supporting Ukraine. Perhaps, there are mor e projects to be implemented?
We will open up more opportunities for training of Ukrainian soldiers and officers. This year we have provided more places in the Lithuanian Military Academy, Military school, the Baltic College in Tartu.
Can we say that Lithuania is providing the strongest support to Ukraine among EU member countries?
Each country is helping, we are not an exception. But we realise what is going on in Ukraine and are trying to do our best helping our friends.
Thank you very much for the interview. Although Nato decided not to render open military support to Ukraine, several countries are doing for Kyiv more than others. Ukrainian soldiers will get elements of weaponry from Lithuania; a joint military brigade is also round the corner. Lithuanian Defence Minister Juozas Olekas has been with us.
Interviewed by Nastassia Jaumen
