Lithuania Buys Two NASAMS Air Protection Launchers for Ukraine

Lithuania has purchased two Norwegian-made NASAMS air protection launchers for Ukraine and can ship them inside three months, the federal government stated Wednesday.

The announcement got here as President Gitanas Nauseda arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday for talks with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

“The NASAMS launchers will attain Ukraine within the close to future,” Nauseda stated on Fb.

“Even in such circumstances, when the stockpiles are empty, we discover alternatives to assist our mates,” he added in a separate video launch.

Protection Minister Arvydas Anusauskas stated the take care of Norwegian agency Kongsberg was price 9.8 million euros ($10.7 million).

The protection ministry stated Norway will present Ukraine with assist gear for the NASAMS launchers.

Lithuania can even ship 10 M113 armored transport automobiles to Ukraine.

Together with munitions, that are set to be delivered later this yr, Lithuanian army support will attain greater than 500 million euros, the protection ministry stated.

The Lithuanian chief and Zelensky will talk about subsequent month’s NATO summit in Vilnius, in addition to Ukraine’s EU membership talks, Nauseda’s workplace stated.

Lithuania and fellow Baltic states Estonia and Latvia have expressed staunch solidarity with Ukraine since Russia invaded it final yr.

The trio spent many years underneath Soviet occupation earlier than declaring independence in 1991 and later becoming a member of NATO and the European Union.