Chief of Defence of Lithuania General Raimundas Vaikšnoras was visiting Budapest on October 14 – 16 as Hungary was hosting EU Military Committee Chiefs of Defence Session. The session had long- and short-term support to Ukraine, EU capability development, rapid deployment force generation and involvement of the Western Balkans in the Common Security and Defence Policy on the agenda.
The discussion on assistance to Ukraine concerned renewing the EU Military Assistance Mission–Ukraine (EUMAM) mandate for another two years to train 75 thousand Ukrainian military personnel during each. It was also agreed to continue examining the possibilities to start training Ukrainian troops inside Ukraine, as well as other potential assistance.
Gen. R. Vaikšnoras also reaffirmed Lithuania’s support to the European Union Rapid Deployment Capacity (EU RDC) and is prepared to contribute to it as soon as EU RDC activation and enabling criteria are clarified. Chief of Defence upheld that capability and effort must not intersect between NATO and the EU. According to General Raimundas Vaikšnoras, Lithuania continues to prioritize strengthening of military mobility, land force maneuver, firepower and cyber security.
When addressing involvement of the Western Balkans in the Common Security and Defence Policy initiatives, the important step of becoming a security provider rather than a recipient was underlined. Lithuania has a clear experience in this area and could set an excellent example for other nations. The Lithuanian Armed Forces stands ready to continue multinational deployments to the Western Balkans and to expand it if possible. The Lithuanian Armed Forces will also continue the participation in Operation ATALANTA by deploying an Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD) to guard World Food Programme ships in 2025.
The EU Military Committee is the highest mechanism of military command which formulates advice in the area of the Common Security and Defence Policy, military missions and operations. It is comprised by Chiefs of Defence who meet twice a year in Brussels or field trips.
