Zelensky lands in Lithuania on tour of Baltic allies

AFP | Vilnius                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived on Wednesday morning in the Lithuanian capital for an unannounced visit to the Baltic states, staunch allies of the war-torn country.

The three Baltic states -- all former Soviet republics which are now EU and NATO members -- are among Ukraine's staunchest allies.

"Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are our reliable friends and principled partners. Today, I arrived in Vilnius before going to Tallinn and Riga," Zelensky said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

"Security, EU and NATO integration, cooperation on electronic warfare and drones, and further coordination of European support are all on the agenda," he said.

The Baltic tour marks Zelensky's first official trip abroad this year.

In Lithuania, a key donor to Ukraine, Zelensky said he will hold talks with the president, prime minister and the speaker of parliament, and meet with the Ukrainian community.

The visit comes as other Kyiv allies waver on fresh aid, nearly two years into Russia's invasion.

Ukraine has come under intense Russian shelling in recent weeks, retaliating with strikes on Russia's border city of Belgorod.

Zelensky has urged allies to keep military support flowing and held in-person talks with officials from the United States, Germany and Norway last month.

But an EU aid package worth 50 billion euros ($55 billion) has been stuck in Brussels following a veto by Hungary, while the US Congress remains divided on sending additional aid to Ukraine.