Ukraine's Zelensky met with Lithuanian counterpart

Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda presented his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky with the Order of Vytautas the Great with the Golden Chain, Lithuania’s highest state decoration “for his merits in defending freedom and democratic values in Europe together with the Ukrainian people”.

Nausėda and Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas are visiting Kyiv on Thursday.

Addressing the Verkhovna Rada, Nausėda said that Lithuania will support Ukraine until its victory in the war against Russia and will make further efforts to keep the West focused on limiting Russia’s ability to continue its invasion.

“We have been through too much together and endured too much injustice to watch each other’s suffering with indifference,” the president said. “Therefore, today, Lithuania supports Ukraine with all possible means, providing – now and until victory – military, humanitarian, and financial assistance.”

Lithuania has been united by a strong desire to help Ukraine since the start of the war, the president said, noting that not only state authorities and municipal institutions but also ordinary Lithuanian people, businesses, and non-governmental organisations have joined the effort to help the war-torn country.

He also said that Lithuania is well aware of “the threat posed by Russia’s imperial ambitions to the security of the entire region” and thanked the Ukrainians for defending not only their country but also Europe as a whole.