Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the Lithuanian capital on Wednesday morning, January 10.
Zelensky landed at Vilnius airport for an unexpected visit to the Baltic state, a major donor to the war-torn country, while Kiev's other allies are reluctant to seek new aid.
During his visit, the Ukrainian leader is scheduled to hold talks with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausěda, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament.
He will also meet with representatives of political factions and the Ukrainian community.
“Security, EU-NATO integration, cooperation in electronic warfare and drones, and continued coordination of European support are all on the agenda,” Zelensky said on Twitter.
The Baltic tour marks Zelensky's first official trip abroad this year, Agence France-Presse reported.
The visit comes at a time when Kiev's other allies are reluctant to provide new aid, nearly two years after the Russian invasion.
Ukraine has been subjected to intense Russian bombing in recent weeks, and it responded with strikes on the Russian border city of Belgorod.
Zelensky urged allies to continue the flow of military support and held personal talks with officials from the United States, Germany and Norway last month.
But a European Union aid package worth 50 billion euros ($55 billion) remained stuck in Brussels after Hungary used its veto, while the US Congress remained divided over sending additional aid to Ukraine.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are our trusted friends and principled partners.
Today I arrived in Vilnius before going on to Tallinn and Riga.
I will hold talks with the President, Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament, as well as meet with politicians and the media…
— Volodymyr Zelensky / Volodymyr Zelensky (@ZelenskyyUa) January 10, 2024
“But first and foremost, our gratitude. For our relentless support for Ukraine since 2014 and especially now, during the large-scale Russian aggression,” he added.
Other topics of interest
Russia evacuates dozens of children from Belgorod
About 300 people had already left Belgorod, in the largest evacuation from a major Russian city since Moscow launched hostilities against Ukraine in February 2022.
After his visit to Lithuania, Zelensky is scheduled to travel to Latvia and Estonia.
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