Baltic defence conference opens in Vilnius to address regional security

A two-day conference devoted to Baltic defence strategies and the lessons of Russia's war in Ukraine began on Monday at the National Gallery of Art in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Politicians, military officials and defence industry representatives are taking part. The discussions centre on regional security and readiness for a possible crisis.

Main topics

Organisers plan to focus on strengthening European air defence and on gaps in the military capabilities of NATO, the Western military alliance. The role of artificial intelligence and drone technology on the battlefield will also be examined. Other sessions will address societal resilience, the production capacity of Europe's defence industry, nuclear deterrence and military intelligence.

Speakers

Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas will open the conference. Andrius Kubilius, the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, will speak about a unified European defence shield. Kubilius said: "Ukraine teaches us that to defend the Baltic region and the whole of Europe, we must be able to produce a lot, be fast, innovative, and resilient."

The programme also includes presentations by practitioners from Ukraine's Defence Ministry and armed forces. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said that insights from Ukrainian specialists would help clarify what effective preparedness means and which practical solutions are needed before a crisis begins.

Participants

Top-ranking Lithuanian military officers will attend, along with international experts from the Institute for the Study of War, the Royal United Services Institute, the European Space Agency and other institutions.