Audrius Skaistys
Ph.D., President
Lithuanian Atlantic Treaty Association
Lecturer
Mykolas Romeris University
Lithuania
audrius.skaistys@gmail.com
This article is to be published on the eve of 20th anniversary of Lithuania’s membership to NATO. Considering the topic of this article, it is important to mention the beginning of cooperation between Lithuania and NATO, when Lithuania wasn’t yet part of this organization.
Lithuania makes its choice based on free will and determination to keep states independence as long as possible
When the last Soviet (Russian) army troops left Lithuania in August 31st 1993, it was the right time to start official talks to NATO. In early 1994, (on 4th of January, to be precise) an official letter to NATO asking for Lithuania’s membership to Alliance was handed over. Lithuania began its journey full of adventures towards full pledged membership of Alliance.
Prior to entering Alliance Lithuania actively participated in the NATO PfP (Partnership for Peace) program, and by learning interoperability through practice, our country helped to end two wars in the Balkans: Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in Serbia and Kosovo. And afterwards Lithuanian troops went to Afghanistan where they helped to fight terrorism. The only time NATO has invoked our collective defense clause, Article 5, was after the terrorist attack on the United States, 9/11/2001. And Lithuania, together with NATO countries, has participated there to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for international terrorists, a place where they can train, prepare or organize terrorist attacks. Lithuania became a part of the Global Coalition and began participating in operations against terrorism in 2002, the year we were officially invited to become NATO member country. You will never come up with a more realistic Membership Action Plan (MAP)!
Lithuania has purposefully sought to become a member of the Alliance for more than 10 years by carrying out reforms and other actions necessary for membership. On March 29, 2004, after Lithuania became a full member of NATO, fighter jets of NATO countries landed at the Šiauliai Air Base (Lithuania), and they continuously rotate and perform the NATO air police mission in the Baltic States, and the airspace over the Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) with economic zones in the Baltic Sea has been well protected for almost 20 years.
Membership in NATO marked by 20 years of transformations
Since 2004, Lithuania strongly cooperated with the other members of the Alliance. As new challenges and opportunities appeared, the Alliance changed and adapted, along with the Lithuanian National Defense system. Lithuania, as new NATO member country started to lead Ghor province (Afghanistan) reconstruction group (PRG) in 2005 and did this job until 2013. During this period, more than 2500 Lithuanian soldiers were accomplishing this mission, gaining serious credits as a reliable partner country.
In response to Russia's increasing energy blackmail, the Alliance established the NATO Energy Security Competence Center in Lithuania, which has been operating since 2012.
Lithuania effectively contributes to strengthening energy efficiency and the fight against other unconventional challenges.
The Regional Defense Plan is of vital importance
After Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the destabilization of Eastern Ukraine with military aggression, the allies realized that the traditional military threats in Europe that were considered extinct have not disappeared. NATO condemned Russia's aggression in Ukraine, suspended practical cooperation with Russia and took steps to strengthen deterrence and defense.
Alliance responded by implementing a huge reinforcement of what we call collective defense. NATO's rapid reaction forces were strengthened, and a special rapid reaction force - VJTF (Very High Readiness Joint Task Force) was created in 2014. Exercises were intensified to improve deterrence in the eastern part of the Alliance: NATO air police in the Baltic countries are reinforced with two additional contingents (in Latvia and Estonia): small command posts - NATO Force Integration Units (NFIU) - were established in the countries of NATO's eastern flank (one of them in Vilnius); and for the first time in NATO history, four forward force battalions have been established in Baltics and Poland. NATO forward battalions are ready to respond immediately to emerging threats together with national forces.
The most recent 2022 NATO's strategic concept was adopted in June 29, 2022 at the NATO Summit held in Madrid, in a document redefining the main tasks and principles of the Alliance, along with the values, the changing security environment and the strategic goals of the Alliance for the next decade. Lithuania actively participates in every new initiative, particularly by learning lessons from Russia-Ukraine war, understanding the importance of technological superiority, while also understanding the difficulty of bringing back occupied or annexed territories, that have been mined and well protected.
Collective defense is of primarily importance for Lithuania, due to the growing capabilities and threat of Russia, as we have a border with Russia – Kaliningrad (formerly Königsberg) and Belarus, ruled by an autocratic regime which is more and more dependent on Russia. The geography and military power imbalances in the region imply that we need to strengthen Lithuania’s defense capabilities, while also seeking to improve the deterrence and defense of the entire Alliance, so that Russia is not tempted to take advantage of regional force superiority or faster decision-making.
Thus, we welcome the decision of Finland and Sweden to become members of Alliance. This strengthens our region security with smooth integration into Regional Defense Plans that has been discussed during Vilnius NATO Summit on 11-12 of July 2023.
NATO presence in Lithuania and Lithuania’s presence in NATO must increase
Lithuania clearly assumes that the existing battlegroups are not big enough, so increases in defense funding aims to facilitate the fastest possible settlement of the German brigade in Lithuania. Lithuania wants the US to maintain its military presence in Europe and that the contingent of US troops be permanently stationed in Lithuania.
A strong, united, and capable Alliance to respond to emerging threats is important for Lithuania. We are making every effort to strengthen it. Lithuania allocates and will allocate 2.5 percent of GDP to defense spending and we see this as an important commitment of our country to our allies, from whom we expect the same.
Lithuanian land, sea, air and special forces units are constantly assigned to stand-by and, as required, participate in the NATO Rapid Reaction Force and the VJTF, thus essentially contributing to collective defense, crisis management or the execution of international operations.