The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called for a stronger European role in NATO
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated that NATO is undergoing a transformation.
According to him, Europe will shoulder a greater burden of responsibility in the future, which it will have to handle on its own.
This was reported by Delfi.
NATO’s transformation began even before the summit in The Hague, and this process continues ahead of the summit in Ankara, the minister emphasized.
"NATO will not be the same as it was yesterday or the day before. It is transforming. A greater burden will fall on our shoulders, on the shoulders of Europe, and we must cope with it, and we must cope with it by increasing defense spending," he said.
At the same time, the minister called for “recognizing the absolute necessity of U.S. participation in the security and defense” of Europe. “There are no alternatives,” Budris emphasized, pointing to skeptical voices in Europe that disagree with U.S. policy and suggest that Europe should be more autonomous.
According to Budris, he sees a pattern here: “The lower the defense spending, the louder the voices against the U.S.”
“Russia has been a long-term direct military threat to us for many generations; we must step up our efforts,” the Lithuanian minister is convinced.
The U.S. may reconsider its troop deployment in NATO due to the war with Iran.
