Russia poses a threat to Lithuania, but there is no record of a redeployment of capabilities closer to the country's borders, it announces Lithuanian army.
She announced this in a Facebook post, responding to questions from residents.
"Is the enemy already behind the gates, but we are just hiding everything? No. In order for an attack against Lithuania to occur, two conditions must exist - first, enemy forces must be deployed near the Lithuanian borders, and second, there must be a known intention to use them," the army points out.
According to her, intelligence is monitoring Russia's actions in Ukraine and there are no signs that capacities would be redeployed closer to Lithuania.
"The situation in Belarus remains unchanged: intensive but stable military training. Therefore, none of the above conditions have been met," the post states.
Russia has always posed a threat
According to the military, Russia clearly poses a threat, but "it has never been otherwise."
"The threat posed by Russia to Lithuania has been a constant since around the 15th century, when the first war between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Moscow took place, and we simply have to learn to live with it," she writes.
The military also points out that Russia currently has more military capabilities than it did in 2022, and the growth of the armed forces is being observed, but newly created military units are not being deployed in areas that pose a direct threat to Lithuania.
Lithuania is one of the countries that spend the most on defense. NATO members, and about a thousand American troops are also stationed there.
However, the United States (JAV) statements by administration officials have fueled speculation that some American troops may be withdrawn from the continent.
According to the military, the deployment of each country's capabilities abroad is a national decision for that country, but the two US battalions deployed in Lithuania "are training on their own and together with Lithuanian soldiers today, as they did yesterday."
Division – an opportunity not to sit in the trenches
Lithuania aims to form a national division by 2030 and prepare to receive a German brigade.
"The division is our opportunity not to sit in the trenches and beat the enemy the way he should be beaten. Secondly, we are strengthening our intelligence capabilities. Far-sighted intelligence allows us to prepare in time and place the necessary antidotes in the right place," the post states.
"Thirdly, we are preparing day and night for the transition to universal conscription, where our most important task is to ensure opportunities to serve for all who want and are able, because after 2022 there is no shortage of those who want to serve in the army, it is just that the number of places in the army is limited," it emphasizes.
Lithuania plans to spend 5-6 percent of its gross domestic product on defense over the next five years. According to the military, building barracks and purchasing weapons requires payment, but "paying with money now is better than paying with lives later."
