RAIMUNDAS THE FIRST ⟩ New Lithuanian Defense Chief Maintains and Values Contacts with Lithuanian Volunteer Fighters in Ukraine

Brigadier General Raimundas Vaiksnoras. Photo: Lithuanian Defense Forces

5th August 2024, 14:51

Lithuania's new Chief of Defense, Brigadier General Raimundas Vaiksnoras, is the first NATO Chief of Defense to openly state that he maintains and values contacts with volunteer fighters from his country in Ukraine.

"I am gaining insights into the atmosphere, soldiers' ground-level thoughts, and tactical and technical procedures," he said in a recent interview to Baltic News Service, noting that the situation in Ukraine offers new ideas about army capabilities, including the development of unmanned aerial vehicles.

"In my new position, I aim to delve deeper. My door will always be open to those in Ukraine who wish to share their experiences, and together we will seek improvements," Vaiksnoras stated.

Not a Standard Practice

This type of overt communication with volunteer fighters abroad is a natural occurrence, but it has not been standard practice for Chiefs of Defense of NATO nations since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Memorial Service for Lithuanian Volunteer Tadas Tumas. February 7, 2024, Donetsk. Photo: Kirill Chubotin/ZUMAPRESS.com

The reluctance of NATO governments to acknowledge their nationals volunteering in Ukraine's Foreign Legion is presumably tied to NATO's overall Ukraine policy, which has included hesitancy in making official efforts to support Ukraine within NATO's framework. This hesitation ended with the NATO Washington Summit this year, where the alliance officially launched NSATU, the NATO Support Mission of Ukraine. The term "mission" was omitted from the name due to objections from the German delegation.

By learning from the war in Ukraine, Brig. Gen. Vaiksnoras aims to integrate drone capabilities into nearly every unit of the army.

He also emphasized that the conflict has highlighted the importance of counter-mobility measures, prompting Lithuania to plan their installation along its borders with Russia and Belarus.

General Valdemaras Rupšys's demanding tenure as Lithuania's Chief of Defense (2019-2024) encompassed the COVID-19 pandemic, an immigration crisis at the southern border of Lithuania, and the war in Ukraine. Photo: INTS KALNINS/REUTERS

"There are different opinions, but the Surovikin line has shown that even cleverly arranged WWII obstacles, combined with mines and cover, have produced results—unfortunately, not in favor of the Ukrainians," the general remarked.

Changing Face of the War

"The fact is, warfare is changing. Ukraine has become, albeit grimly, a testing ground for new systems, tactics, and methods of warfare. However, a conflict with NATO would be different—likely fast, lightning fast, leaving no room for hesitation," he added.

Vaiksnoras underscores the necessity of maintaining a robust reserve forces. Some 3,800 conscripts are expected to be called up this year, but Lithuania's political leadership predicts that this number could reach 7,000 over the next five years.

"No one else will come to our aid. If we don’t demonstrate our full commitment to defending our homeland, we send a negative message. Expecting Americans or Germans to defend us is misguided," asserted the new army chief, who took office last week.

Optimistic About the German Brigade

Vaiksnoras remains optimistic about the timely deployment of the German brigade in Lithuania by late 2027.

According to a mid-July Business Insider article, Vilnius informed Berlin that the necessary infrastructure might not be ready, potentially delaying the brigade's deployment until late 2028 or early 2029. The German Defense Ministry has discussed the matter but has made no decisions.

Lithuanian President Nausėda later assured that they would strive to follow Plan A regarding the timetable for building host nation support infrastructure for the German brigade.

18 December 2023, Lithuania, Jonava: Boris Pistorius (SPD), Federal Minister of Defense, stood in front of a Leopard 2 tank from Ukraine at the Lithuanian Defence Services (LDS) repair hub. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/picture-alliance

"We are committed to ensuring the brigade's arrival as agreed, by the end of 2027," Vaiksnoras affirmed. "Yes, the timeline is ambitious. If delays occur due to resource shortages or other reasons, we will consult and address them."

"The objective is clear: the brigade will arrive by the end of 2027, and we will adhere to this across all fronts," he concluded.

Brigadier General Raimundas Vaikšnoras took office as Lithuania’s Chief of Defense on July 24. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Military Training at NATO's military headquarters SHAPE in Mons, Belgium, and has commanded both the Lithuanian Land Force and the Iron Wolf Brigade.

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