In the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, the heads of state and government of the NATO member states will meet on Tuesday and Wednesday for a summit, where support for Ukraine is one of the central topics. Lithuania is strongly in favor of Ukrainian membership. This support is clearly visible in the street scene.
All over the city there are flags in different sizes, in the blue of NATO, in the yellow, green and red of Lithuania and the blue and yellow of Ukraine. Buses carrying journalists from all over the city to the top bear inscriptions such as “While you wait for the bus, Ukraine is waiting to join” or “While you wait for the bus, Ukraine is waiting for F-16s”. The employees who manage the practical course of events at the top also wear blue and yellow clothing.
Photos also draw attention to the suffering of Ukrainians from the Russian invasion, which started on February 24, 2022. Here and there are large signs with the slogan “Slava Ukraini!”, which means “Glory to Ukraine”. The slogan symbolizes the Ukrainians’ resistance to the Russian invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected in Vilnius. He will meet US President Joe Biden on Wednesday. Also on the agenda is the first session of the new NATO-Ukraine Council, in which Ukraine will sit on an equal footing with the NATO member states.
The alliance wants to send a clear signal to Russia. The summit also takes place less than 35 kilometers from the border of Belarus, Moscow’s main ally. Great security measures have therefore been taken. If you land at Vilnius International Airport, you cannot miss the anti-aircraft systems that are set up there.
