You're reading: Lithuanian defense minister NATO ready to assist Ukraine in military reform

NATO is ready to assist Ukraine in reforming its defense sector, Minister of the National Defense of Lithuania Juozas Olekas has said.

“NATO is prepared to render assistance to Ukraine in holding reforms. Lithuania is also always ready to provide such support, we have always helped in military and medical training, we helped set up [the Ukraine-NATO] trust fund. Lithuania also intends to advise Ukraine in the implementation of military reform,” Olekas said in Kyiv on April 20 at the event entitled “The 15th International Week: NATO after the Wales Summit.”

He said that this issue will be discussed at an upcoming meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak.

In addition, Olekas said he believes that NATO can learn a lot from Ukraine’s experience of the conflict in Donbas.

“One of the key points is that the future of Europe is impossible without a free and prosperous Ukraine. This is one of the factors that drives us to deepen cooperation with Ukraine. This also encourages Ukraine to implement reforms in the defense sector, which in the future will help protect its border… I very much hope and wish that next year there will be peace in Ukraine,” Olekas said.