NATO Summit: Decisions, security measures and the atmosphere in the capital of Lithuania
In less than 24 hours, the summit of the North Atlantic Alliance, the most important and the biggest event in the history of Lithuania, will start in Vilnius. Decisions are to be made regarding NATO security. "Our summit will send a clear message. NATO is united", said the Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg. The central topic will focus on strengthening NATO's relations with Ukraine, which will "bring the war-torn country closer to NATO."
What decisions will be made in Vilnius
The NATO-Ukraine Council will be created at the Vilnius Summit. This will be a platform for crisis consultation and decision-making. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will join the inaugural meeting of the new Council, Jens Stoltenberg said.
"It will be a Council made up of the 31 NATO Allies - hopefully soon 32 Allies with Sweden - but now 31 NATO Allies and Ukraine. We will all be equal in this council. We are going to decide how often this council will meet", said the head of NATO.
The senior official also stated that he expects the allied leaders to reaffirm that Ukraine will become a member of NATO. He also stated some of the decisions that would be taken at the Summit.
"First, we will agree on a multi-year assistance program. Allies have already pledged 500 million euros for critical needs, including fuel, medical supplies, demining equipment and pontoon bridges. We will also help build Ukraine's security and defense sector, including through military hospitals. And we will help Ukraine move from Soviet-era equipment and standards to NATO," Stoltenberg said.
For his part, President Zelenskiy said that he wants NATO to make a "positive political decision" at the Vilnius Summit regarding Kiev's accession to the alliance as soon as the conflict ends. According to him, it is now essential to develop a concrete and detailed accession plan.
However, there are differences of opinion among the allies: countries such as Poland and the Baltic countries support this approach, while France, the US and Germany show caution.
Leaders from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea will join the NATO Summit in Vilnius. Issues such as cyber security, maritime security and new technologies will be addressed.
Also, in the spotlight in Vilnius will be Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the main obstacle to Sweden's attempts to join NATO alongside neighboring Finland. The Republic of Moldova will be represented at the NATO summit by the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. Nicu Popescu.
Even if the Republic of Moldova is not a member of the North Atlantic Alliance, it will be present at the Summit of the Alliance being represented by the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. The invitation was launched by the Deputy General Secretary of NATO, Mircea Geoană, who will organize, on the sidelines of the Summit, a meeting of Foreign Ministers. During the event, a joint declaration of the Bloc regarding the Republic of Moldova will be signed. "For now, it is not clear what this document will contain, but it will be a signal of support," Nicu Popescu said in Chisinau.
Previously, the ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to the Kingdom of Belgium, Viorel Ciubotaru, stated that the Moldovan authorities expect as many concrete deliveries as possible at the Summit, so that every citizen can be convinced how beneficial the intensification of our relations with NATO is. It should be noted that until the start of the Summit, more information will be organized on various topics, including NATO partnerships with Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Security in the capital of Lithuania
Heightened measures have been taken to ensure security in Lithuania, which borders Russia's ally Belarus to the east and Russia's Kaliningrad exclave to the west. At Vilnius Airport itself, several PATRIOT anti-aircraft systems and several armored vehicles were installed in places quite visible to Airport travelers. Also, the runway was full of police cars, ready to pick up delegations of NATO heads. On the occasion of the organization of the NATO Summit, an ad hoc military security task force was established, which includes maritime, land, special, military combat support and logistical support units. In total, 3 thousand Lithuanian soldiers and up to 1 thousand NATO soldiers will ensure security throughout the NATO Summit. At the same time, it is worth noting that Lithuania is investing heavily in its military, with plans to spend 3% of GDP on defense in the near future - well above NATO's target. Its skies are patrolled by NATO jets, and Germany has committed to permanently deploy around 4,000 troops to Lithuania. Critics, cited by Lithuanian media, fear it would not be enough to protect the country if the war spreads beyond Ukraine.
The atmosphere in Vilnius before the biggest event organized by Lithuania
Even though there is a lot of hustle and bustle for the preparation of the Summit, from a logistical point of view, people continue their daily lives. The town, apparently, is not crowded, but in the evening, the restaurants located on the pedestrian street are full, both with locals and with numerous accredited journalists, who will cover the NATO Summit, including from the Public Broadcaster "Teleradio-Moldova".
Between July 7-13, all media representatives can travel free of charge on Vilnius public transport, which, by the way, is decorated with the flag of the country and that of NATO.
The flag of Ukraine flies on the windows of many houses in Vilnius, as a sign of solidarity with the country affected by the war initiated by the Russian Federation on February 24, 2022.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Vilnius suggested citizens to go on holiday outside the city if they want to avoid traffic jams, as large parts of central Vilnius will be closed for the summit.
About Lithuania
Lithuania has been a member of NATO since 2004. 89% of Lithuanian residents support the country's NATO membership. 90% of residents support the presence of NATO allies in Lithuania. Lithuania's defense budget accounted for 2.46% of GDP in 2022. Most Lithuanians see the Vilnius NATO Summit as an important event for the country.
On the day of the summit, July 12, Vilnius is celebrating its 700th anniversary. Exclusive performances, art, music and entertainment will be held here.
