Impressions from the Lublin Triangle: An Update on the War in Ukraine

Key Takeaways

1. Poland, Lithuania, and other Baltic and eastern European countries who know Russia well are the most outspoken in support of backing Ukraine’s defense. The United States would be wise to channel this impulse toward a theory of victory against Russia in Ukraine.

2. In July, Lithuania will host this year’s NATO Summit, which should be an accession summit in which the Alliance welcomes Sweden and Finland as new members. But the alliance should not stop there. The three Chairmen promoted Ukraine’s accession to NATO and believe it would be the surest way to demonstrate to Putin the foolishness of his war.

3. In the year ahead, Poland looks to boost its defense spending to 4% of GDP. Lithuania’s defense spending will rise to 2.5% of GDP. These countries are willing to share the burden of defense spending to defend their sovereignty and that of Ukraine.

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Please join Peter Rough, Hudson Institue senior fellow and director of the Center on Europe and Eurasia, for a discussion with Žygimantas Pavilionis, Radoslaw Fogiel, and Oleksandr Merezhko, chairs of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committees of Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine, respectively. The three chairmen will provide an update on how their countries are coping with the war in Ukraine, the scope and level of coordination within the Lublin Triangle, and what they anticipate for the year to come.