Lithuania urges allies to prepare to 'deploy forces' for Ukraine security

LONDON

Lithuania's president said on Thursday that Ukraine's allies must be prepared to deploy forces to the country, emphasizing that Kyiv should not be forced to give up territories.

The "Coalition of the Willing," a group of 31 countries pledging increased support for Ukraine, "needs to be prepared to deploy forces to ensure security in Ukraine," Gitanas Nauseda said in a statement, as reported by the public broadcaster LRT.

The president also noted that Lithuania is prepared to provide troops and military training capabilities to a joint force.

His remarks came following Wednesday's Coalition of the Willing meeting, which was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and US Vice President JD Vance.

According to the statement, the Lithuanian president said peace in Ukraine should not be decided without Ukraine and urged Zelenskyy to participate in future talks.

Kyiv should not be forced to cede territories, he added.

"A comprehensive ceasefire without preconditions is essential before any real negotiations can begin," said Nauseda.

US President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base in Alaska on Friday at around 11.30 am local time (1930GMT).

The Alaska talks will be the first between sitting US and Russian presidents in nearly three and a half years, dating back to the start of the Moscow-Kyiv war.

On Wednesday, Zelenskyy said Trump expressed his readiness to provide his country with security guarantees.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Trump threatened his Russian counterpart with "very severe consequences" if he did not agree to end the war in Ukraine during their upcoming Alaska summit.

Although European officials have welcomed Trump's initiative to bring peace and end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, they have always been wary that the US president will try to force Kyiv to cede its territory.

Trump earlier said Russia and Ukraine would swap territories as part of a peace agreement.