Lithuanian President says full military integration of Belarus and Russia poses new challenges for NATO
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, chairman of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg have discussed security issues in the Baltic region and the situation in Ukraine, Delfi reports.
Gitanas Nauseda notes that the concentration of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine is a cause for concern.
“Another worrying process is the full military integration of Belarus into Russia’s military structures and doctrines. This poses new challenges to NATO’s collective security, and the Alliance must adjust its plans, strategies, and tactics accordingly and be prepared for a possible response. If the security situation becomes even more difficult, we do not exclude the possibility of seeking NATO Article 4 consultations,” Nauseda said at a news conference.
The Lithuanian president also noted that the migration crisis on the border with Belarus is unlikely to be resolved soon.
“It has not been solved yet. And in our opinion, it is difficult to expect it in the near future. Everything remains complicated and very difficult to predict. There is no doubt that the regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka and the forces supporting him will continue to test the unity of the Western world by all means and tactics,” he stressed.
