US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Lithuania of NATO's protection and Washington's support, AP reports.

“We are bolstering our shared defense so that we and our allies are prepared,” Blinken said, stressing that the U.S. commitment to NATO’s mutual defense pact is “sacrosanct,”

“We will defend every inch of NATO territory if it comes under attack,” he said. “No one should doubt our readiness, no one should doubt our resolve.”

Blinken started his Baltic tour in Vilnius.

“Unfortunately, the worsening security situation in the Baltic region is of great concern for all of us and around the world,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told Blinken. “Russia’s reckless aggression against Ukraine once again proves that it is a long-term threat to European security, the security of our alliance.”

 

Nausėda noted that the policy of containment is no longer enough and now forward defense is needed. According to him, Russian President Vladimir Putin will not stop in Ukraine if he is not stopped.

“It is our collective duty as a nation to help all Ukrainians with all means available,” said Nauseda. “By saying all, I mean, indeed all means all, if we want to avoid the Third World War. The choice is in our hands.”

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis called for a sharp increase in aid to Ukraine. He also called for an immediate halt to Russian energy imports.

Blinken said that the situation in Ukraine is relevant to the situation of Lithuania in connection with its position on Taiwan, since all countries should have the right to pursue their own foreign policy. Each nation is free to associate with whoever it wants, he said adding that the United States continues to support Lithuania and every nation in choosing their own path."

Later on Monday, Blinken will travel to Riga to meet with senior Latvian officials and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, followed by a visit to Tallinn before heading to Paris on Tuesday for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.