Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabrielius Landsbergis, has presented a 10-point plan to strengthen military cooperation with Poland in response to growing military threats from Russia.
Landsbergis emphasised the need to consider „worst-case scenarios” and conclude strategic projects in the field of communication and military cooperation. Both countries are jointly responsible for the Suwałki Gap in NATO. As part of building a new security strategy, Lithuania should strengthen regional partnerships with Nordic and Baltic countries and learn from Ukraine daily. Landsbergis emphasised that the United States and Germany should remain the main pillars of NATO and Lithuania’s security. Lithuania should allocate 4% of GDP for defence, with some experts suggesting at least 3% of GDP. Landsbergis urged Lithuania to wake up from the „pleasant stagnation of peace” and take urgent steps to strengthen its defence. He acknowledged that the support provided to Ukraine may not be enough to win the war and warned that it would be time to start counting down to the next war, Russia’s war with another neighbour.
Poland and Lithuania have a long history of cooperation stretching back more nearly 700 years. Through the Union of Lublin in 1569, which created the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the two countries united into one state.
However, the 18th century brought challenges, with external forces such as Russia and Prussia partitioning the Commonwealth, eroding its territorial integrity. In the 19th century, modern nationalism was embraced by both countries, making most of their inhabitants reject the idea of a new union and they instead competed for which state should have the right to Vilnius if they would manage to regain independence. It was first the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 that provided an opportunity for the rekindling of cooperation.
Today, the threat of Russian military aggression has brought them closer together than for centuries. Guarding the Suwałki Gap will likely be the main issue bringing these states together for decades to come.
