Lithuania eyes major peacekeeping role in Ukraine, echoing Afghan mission

Lithuania is prepared to contribute a contingent of peacekeeping forces to Ukraine equivalent in size to its previous deployment in NATO’s Afghanistan mission, presidential advisor Dainius Žekavičius announced.

The deployment would form part of a broader international peacekeeping initiative, contingent on the establishment of a ceasefire in Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports, citing Lithuanian media.

Speaking following a virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing” on August 17 — a group of allied nations discussing post-war security arrangements for Ukraine — Žekavičius affirmed Lithuania’s readiness to participate actively in Ukraine’s post-conflict stabilization.

“Lithuania has made the decision [to send troops – ed.]. The specific figures are still under discussion, and I won’t disclose them, but one should think of our past contribution in Afghanistan — that’s the direction we’re likely to move in,” he said.

During NATO’s mission in Afghanistan, Lithuania regularly deployed several hundred soldiers, playing a notable role in the international effort to stabilize the region. Žekavičius indicated that a comparable level of involvement could be expected in Ukraine under a future peacekeeping mandate.

He further emphasized that Lithuanian forces would not only contribute to peacekeeping but also support the training and capacity-building of Ukrainian troops. “When speaking about Ukraine and credible security guarantees, we must consider how we will ensure security in the air, on land, and at sea,” he added, underlining the multidimensional nature of the proposed mission.

President Gitanas Nausėda also took part in a videoconference, which brought together international leaders seeking to coordinate future security measures and reconstruction efforts in Ukraine once hostilities subside.

By Vafa Guliyeva