The capital of Lithuania, which hosts Western leaders for two days, is only thirty kilometers from Belarus and 150 kilometers from the Russian border.
Vilnius is the safest city in the world for two days. “It would be beyond irresponsible not to protect our skies when Joe Biden and the leaders of 40 countries arrive,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said. In fact, NATO member states and other invited heads of state and government, such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are gathering in Vilnius this Tuesday.
The Lithuanian capital is only about thirty kilometers from Belarus, an ally of Moscow in particular, ready to absorb Wagner troops or even Russian nuclear weapons, and also 150 kilometers from the Russian border. The local authorities have therefore multiplied security measures, massively supported by the western community, turning the city into a veritable fortress.
reinforcement of the borders
The Lithuanian army has announced that it has deployed 3,000 soldiers to ensure security at the summit, which is due to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, who have just joined the 1,500 police officers deployed for the event.
Lithuania, too, has tripled its activities at the borders, at the borders of its territory with Belarus and Russia, supported in particular by personnel from Poland and Latvia. The country is preparing for “various provocations,” border guard chief Rustamas Liubajevas said in a remark reported by Portal.
The latter said he feared the arrival of waves of migrants or military patrols near the border. In 2021, several thousand displaced people arrived at the border with Belarus, an incident Western countries see as a deliberate attempt to destabilize Minsk.
Soldiers patrol near the NATO summit area in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 9, 2023. – PETRAS MALUKAS / AFP
Anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems
In addition, several countries of the transatlantic alliance had advanced defense systems, with the Lithuanian army notably lacking in anti-aircraft weapons.
As Portal reports, at least eight Patriot missile launchers operated by German forces were visible at Vilnius airport, two were aimed at Russia’s Kaliningrad, and another two towards Belarus. “You know where you are geographically and you know pretty well where the threat is coming from,” said Lieutenant Colonel Steffen Lieb, commander of the Patriots.
Bundeswehr Patriot long-range air defense systems deployed at Vilnius airport ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 7, 2023. – Petras Malukas / AFP
“Lithuania asked us to protect the summit, and NATO also asked Germany for help. That’s our answer,” he added.
1000 additional soldiers
For its part, Spain brought a NASAMS air defense system to Vilnius, while France used Caesar armored vehicles, used notably on the front in Ukraine, and anti-drone systems, also supplied by London.
Poland and Germany have deployed soldiers with helicopters specializing in special operations. Other countries have common equipment to deal with a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attack. A total of 1,000 soldiers from sixteen NATO countries were sent there.
For the Lithuanian President, the magnitude of these joint efforts to ensure airspace security during the summit proves that NATO urgently needs to install permanent air defense systems in the Baltic countries.
“We are considering what will happen after the summit and we will work with allies to create a rotating permanent air defense force,” he said.
For these two days, Vilnius city center will be largely closed, driving bans will be imposed in several districts and some postal services will be suspended. The city’s mayor has also advised affected residents to take vacations away from the metropolitan area to avoid trouble.