Ukrainian President Zelensky makes surprise visit to Lithuania to discuss war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made an unannounced visit to Lithuania, a key ally of Kyiv as it battles Russia’s invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made an unannounced visit to Lithuania, a key ally of Kyiv as it battles Russia’s invasion. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said in a statement he was welcoming Zelensky to his country, where the two leaders would discuss the war and Ukrainian “integration into the EU and NATO.” Zelenksy said the issue of “cooperation on electronic warfare and drones” would also be on the agenda, following sustained Russian air strikes on Ukraine in what has been a bloody start to the new year. Zelensky arrived Wednesday at the airport in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, on a plane bearing the Ukrainian coat of arms. He will then visit the other two Baltic states, Latvia and Estonia, he said on Telegram, without giving a timeline. Support for Ukraine in the Baltics has remained resolute while it has wavered in Washington. Ukraine in December received its last package of military aid from the United States until a divided Congress approves the Biden administration’s funding request, which seeks to steel Ukraine as it prepares to enter its third year of war. The Ukrainian president last visited Lithuania in July 2023 to attend the annual NATO summit, where he pushed for a clear path for his country to join the alliance and a timeline for its accession.