President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Kyiv with Prime Minister of Lithuania Inga Ruginienė, who recently took office and chose Ukraine for her first foreign visit.
“Thank you for your visit. We are grateful to your team and very glad to welcome you to Ukraine. I want to thank your country and all the Lithuanian people for their strong support and warm attitude toward Ukrainians since the very beginning of this war. We are very proud to have such friends,” the Head of State emphasized.
The President noted Lithuania’s comprehensive support for Ukraine, including military assistance. Lithuania is also a co-leader of the demining coalition and actively participates in the drone, air defense, electronic warfare, artillery, and IT coalitions.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that strengthening air defense remains a constant priority amid Russia’s growing missile and drone terror, including strikes on critical and civilian infrastructure. In this regard, special attention during the meeting was paid to supporting Ukraine’s energy sector ahead of the winter season.
The President also noted Lithuania’s readiness to contribute to the PURL initiative and to join the SAFE instrument.
In addition, the parties discussed the implementation of agreements on joint weapons production and further investments in Ukraine’s defense industry. Lithuania, in particular, has expressed interest in developing production capacities for Ukrainian drones.
Special attention was also given to the diplomatic work aimed at achieving a genuine peace and to the efforts for the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. The Head of State thanked Lithuania for being represented at the Summit of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children in New York at the level of First Lady Diana Nausėdienė. The next summit will take place in Brussels, and Ukraine looks forward to Lithuania’s participation.
Among other topics discussed were Lithuania’s assistance in Ukraine’s reconstruction and the construction of shelters in schools and kindergartens. Lithuanian partners are already involved in building school shelters in six Ukrainian regions.
