Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas met with Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov. They discussed assistance to Ukraine, current security challenges and the most pressing defence policy topics.
One of the points of discussion between Minister and Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine was localisation of Ukraine’s defence industry to facilitate joint production in Lithuania.
“The technology developed in Ukraine and daily lessons of war are exceptionally relevant to us. We aim to localise the Ukrainian defence industry in Lithuania thus strengthening not just Lithuanian but also Ukrainian defensive capabilities,” said Minister of National Defence R. Kaunas.
Minister also emphasised that total defence based on readiness to use all the resources for state defence was the most reliable response to the arising threats. The attention is increasingly focused on readiness to act in real crises and war rather than just theoretical planning.
Lithuania pays particular attention to integration of the civil and military defence systems, inter-institutional coordination and public readiness, as civil defence is among the top Lithuanian national security priorities. Another highlight was the necessity to ensure continuity of state functions, including critical infrastructure and public services. K. Budanov shared practical examples from Ukraine’s experience in protecting national critical infrastructure sites.
Composition of Lithuania’s Assistance Packages for Ukraine reflects the most pressing needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Photo credits:A. Pliadis/MoD.
