Pavilionis: Work with America Through Dialogue, Not Just Words

As a member of the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defense, I must stress the critical importance of our relationship with the United States. While public discourse in Lithuania, and indeed across the Baltics, often oscillates between praise and criticism of American leadership, particularly concerning figures like Donald Trump, the reality is stark: our security is inextricably linked to American power.

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Whether you like America or its President, you have to work with America – not with words, not through publicity, but through conversations, arguments, contracts, and support – when America asks for it.

My colleague Žygimantas Pavilionis rightly points out that engagement with America requires more than just words; it demands concrete actions, dialogue, and tangible support. We cannot afford to be swayed by the rhetoric of those who seek to divide us. The recent announcement of additional U.S. troops to Poland, while perhaps driven by specific bilateral dynamics, serves as a potent reminder of America's indispensable role in regional security.

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We must understand that without America, at least in the near and medium term, we cannot defend ourselves, so every day we must strengthen transatlantic ties.

It is crucial to understand that while we must diligently strengthen our own defenses and those of Europe, as the Americans have urged us to do since 2014, this is not an alternative to, but a complement to, our transatlantic alliance. The urgency became clear after 2022, but our commitment must be unwavering. We must resist the panic that adversaries like Moscow, Beijing, and Minsk actively sow within our societies. Our focus must remain on reinforcing our own capabilities, bolstering European cooperation, and nurturing the vital bond with the United States. This is not a matter of preference, but of survival.

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This in no way means that we should not strengthen our own or the entire European military muscle. On the contrary, the Americans have been asking us to strengthen them since 2014, but we ourselves have not fulfilled our obligations and only woke up after 2022.