Rebuilding Ukraine: A European Approach From Lithuania скачать в хорошем качестве

Rebuilding Ukraine: A European Approach From Lithuania

The role of Lithuania in supporting Ukraine is difficult to overestimate. A steadfast and principled ally, Lithuania has provided assistance amounting to nearly 2% of its GDP – one of the highest levels of support in the world, exceeded only by Denmark and Estonia. Lithuania was among the first countries to supply Ukraine with lethal weapons, delivering millions of rounds of ammunition, assault rifles, and other arms to replace Soviet-era stockpiles. The first packages of Lithuanian military aid arrived in Ukraine as early as Feb. 27, 2022 – on the third day of Russia’s full-scale invasion – at a time when many countries expected Kyiv to fall within days or weeks. Following Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Lithuania transferred a thermal power plant (TPP) along with additional equipment for power generation and repairs. Since 2022, Lithuania’s support has expanded significantly beyond military assistance to include humanitarian aid, reconstruction, and long-term development cooperation. With the backing of the Lithuanian government, the Create Ukraine initiative was launched, bringing first ten and later another 25 highly qualified young professionals back to Ukraine from Europe and the United States. Lithuania has also assumed responsibility for financing the reconstruction of schools and kindergartens in deoccupied territories, modernizing hospitals and other public institutions, assisting citizens in rebuilding destroyed housing, and constructing underground schools and shelters. Crucially, Lithuania’s approach to reconstruction goes beyond simply restoring what was lost. Its goal is to help create a new and higher quality of life – one based on modern standards, sustainability, and resilience. We discuss these projects and the principles behind them with Arturas Žarnovskis, Program Manager for Ukraine Reconstruction Programs of the Lithuanian government.