Lithuania voices sharp criticism over Baltic states' exclusion from NATO future talks
Lithuanian politicians have criticized the fact that the Baltic states were not invited to a planned meeting in Poland on NATO's future, though some downplay the significance.
A debate has emerged in Lithuania after reports that the Baltic states were not invited to an upcoming meeting in Poland intended to discuss the future of NATO. Žygimantas Pavilionis, deputy chairman of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs, offered a harsh assessment, saying the Baltic states are increasingly becoming what he called "second-class" members of the alliance.
Pavilionis, who represents the opposition Conservative party, argued that the exclusion reflects the cost of poor political decisions made in recent years and shows that Lithuania has lost the closer relationship it once had with the United States.
However, the committee's chairman, Social Democrat Remigijus Motuzas, urged against dramatizing the situation, explaining that countries are typically invited to such meetings in stages, by groups, rather than all at once.
Lithuania's presidential office, for its part, stressed that what matters most to the country is that the meeting includes its closest allies — those with the real capacity to take over the role currently played by US forces in Europe, if needed.
Other allies also excluded
According to a Politico report published Thursday, the Baltic states were not alone in being left off the invitation list for the Poland meeting — the United Kingdom and France were also excluded. The gathering is being organized by US Deputy Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby and, according to six diplomats familiar with the preparations, is effectively set to function as a working group discussing NATO's future direction.
Representatives of the countries that were not invited are reportedly now trying to determine the reasons behind the decision.
