Hosted by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda in the Palace of the Grand Dukes, the gathering brings together leaders from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland and the B9 group of Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are attending as guests.
Polish President Andrzej Duda, who arrived in Vilnius on Sunday evening with First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda, will again urge allies to raise NATO’s minimum defense spending target from 2 % to 3 % of GDP, arguing the Cold-War-era level is needed to deter Russia and satisfy U.S. calls for greater European burden-sharing.
Diplomats said the leaders aim to agree joint language calling for accelerated reinforcement of NATO’s eastern flank, streamlined arms deliveries to Kyiv and long-term funding for defense industries.
Bilateral and commemorative stops
After Monday’s plenary, Duda will hold bilateral talks with Nausėda and on Tuesday meet Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas before travelling to the Baltic resort of Palanga for further discussions with the Lithuanian head of state.
The Polish leader will also visit the Polish-minority community in the Vilnius region, lay wreaths at the historic Rasos Cemetery—where the heart of Polish statesman Józef Piłsudski rests—and pay tribute at Ponary, site of mass executions by Nazi German forces and their Lithuanian collaborators during 1941–44.
(jh)
Source: PAP, IAR