This video is a republish. But with so many new subscribers joining over the past year, and the NATO Summit happening in Vilnius this week, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to remind people about Lithuania’s long journey to NATO membership!
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With Russian and even Belarussian aggression in Eastern Europe, more and more people are becoming familiar with NATO- or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
It’s this military alliance that European member nations are relying on for their external security- especially those bordering non-NATO countries. Having been a member since 2004, just exactly how and why did Lithuania join NATO? And why did it take so long?
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20 Comments
I'm Lithuanian migrant living in EU, there hasn't been a single bone of patriotism or love to Lithuania, because of hardships that me and everyone close to me faced growing up. I still don't like Lithuania as a whole but after Ukraine invasion I came to the conclusion that I would go back to Lithuania, to defend it and die there if needed along side all of those people that Lithuania didn't treat well. What Dalia is saying "I don't even want to think about <where Lithuania would be without NATO >" is exactly the reason why I'd go back to defend it and die along side my brothers. The horrors and atrocities that Ukraine is experiencing, all of that would be our experience if we weren't in NATO. Every single child dying, every single rape, every single execution of civilians, every single castration, eye gauging and all the other horrors done by russians would be done in Lithuania if it's not for NATO.
That's why when Lithuanians say that Ukraine is fighting for our freedom we mean it, they do. If they don't win now it means that the west failed and russia will come for the Baltics regardless of their NATO status. Ukraine must win and on the same day get into NATO.
i honestly rthiunk isd not nato and eu we would be somehow like beklarours fa pupet state withb intened intehration tio russia federation
2:55 This picture was taked in university i ve been studying few years ago. 🙂
I still remember the day back in 2004 when I was still in the middle school and we got the word that we joined EU and NATO. There was big ceremony even in my tiny home town. Later, I've volunteered to join Lithuanian armed forces right after the annexation of Crimea in Ukraine. I was the second rotation of Soldiers after the draft was re-introduced. Our entire military doctrine was a fighting retreat ahead of advancing Russian invasion force. We knew that our small nation couldn't hope to stop sheer numbers of Russia. But we developed small unit tactics of anti-armor and anti-aircraft tactics and basically fight unconventionally. We also sent a major contingent of international military advisors to Ukraine before the invasion happened and tough their military how to employ such strategy. It seems like it worked well to slow the Russian advance early on. Now I serve in US Army light infantry unit and I am teaching newer folks coming to the unit same unconventional tactics. Because even US military can't always rely to the air assets to solve every issue ground forces face. Love your Channel! Greets from Fort Drum!
Say NATO – think USA. If not USA these Europussies would sell us to Russia.
We joined because there was absolutely no other way. Latvians and Estonians can attest to this. Prior to WW2 we were all neutral countries. And what came of it? Russians love to brag about how they defeated Germans back then, conveniently leaving out the fact that by signing the molotov-ribbentrop pact between fascist Germany and the USSR, they kickstarted the bloody war in a first place! Poland was the first victim of their brutality, we followed soon. So much for being neutral.
Finland is also familiar with this. Although they fought back much more successfully, the "finlandization" that followed was a bitter pill to swallow for them.
And to visualize what could have been if we weren't in NATO today I suggest looking at Georgia. Small country, ex SSR just like us, but unlike us, Georgians do not have the shield of NATO nor prosperity of the EU. And it shows. Chunks of Georgia are occupied by Russia since 2008 and they cannot do anything about it for now. It is a sad sight for what otherwise is an amazing country and people.
There are many questionable decisions made in the past by our lawmakers and leaders, but joining NATO (and EU) isn't one of them. We'd be at the ninth gate of hell if it weren't for our allies and partners helping us stay free and safe. 💪
When Bush came to Lithuania in 2002 with the invitation to join NATO it seemed unreal. You will never be alone again he said. People cried and shouted thank you. Because in 1940s that was our fate. Partisans were fighting not because they hoped to win but to the defend idea of an independent Lithuania long enough to get reinforcement from the Western countries. Reinforcement never came. At least not in a form of a military support. We were alone back then. And bad things happened.
Fastforward to today. Russia has attacked Ukraine, actual conventional war is in the neighborhood. All nightmares that our grandparents and parents had survived are being repeated again. But something changed. NATO summit is happening in Vilnius today. Majority of the strongest countries in the world are here. And they are our friends. And we are at the table talking about support to Ukraine. Not somewhere in the corner, begging for help to ourselves. So many people, even those who never lived under soviet occupation, are feeling so much happiness and pride these days. Because intergenerational trauma is real.
But we will never be alone again.
All we can do now is to fight for Ukraine and her right to be here with us.
I hope it will really save 🇱🇹 from any war in Lithuania, and from being made and called “Russia” again.
Today was very annoying day. Every 10 min. planes go brrrrrrr. But I hope NATO visits us more often, because next time maybe our government will fix traffic jams.
It's crazy how the lithuanian military involved throughout the decades and years with Nato support, nowadays we feel way safer, confident going day by day.
Not much of a choice there is it? I mean if not NATO – we would be in the same situation as Ukraine now. Or better yet – we would be Belarus2 and Ukraine would still be fighting. Im sorry just being real here.
Without the union with the Kingdom of Poland, there would be no Lithuania today, and no one would even know that people called Lithuanians ever existed. Unfortunately, today Lithuanians do not respect Poles, they would rather forget about the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and would prefer to be friends with Germans in the EU.
I think it was the only logical decision to join NATO, considering the history of the baltic states. It's the same logic that motivated the Benelux countries to join NATO and other projects like the WEU in the 40s and 50s, abandoning their previous neutrality policy.
I have been critical of NATO for a long time, but after the recent events only a fool would try to negate the necessity of this alliance, even if one doesn't love it. To be honest, I would prefer a european military alliance that cooperates with the US but is not dominated by them, but this idea has become very unrealistic because of the russian invasion of Ukraine, at least for the time being.
As soon as i read the title it was just "to live in a free and sovereign Lithuania, the best kind" no matter what the extreme nationalist say it was a nesesety
what ever it takes not to be with the pigs from the east. what ever it takes
LT:
Ar niekas nepaminės jog mes įstojome į NATO (ar ES, jeigu apie tai jau prakalbome…) prieštaraujant konstitucijai – be jos reikalaujamo referendumo?
Be teisės, asmeniškai, iš grynai realpolitik požiūrio, manau tai buvo klaida – tiek ekonomiškai, tiek suvereniškai būt geriau buvę likti neutraliems, sekti šveicarų pavyzdžiu. Aišku, plačiau paaiškinti visus subtilumus šio klausimo reikėtų visą video-rašinėlį sukurti…
ENG:
Will anyone mention the fact that "we" joined NATO (or EU for that matter) unconstitutionally – without the mandated referendum?
Besides the law aspect, personally, from a purely realpolitik angle, I think it was a mistake – it would have been much better from an economic or sovereignty point of view to have stayed neutral, following the Swiss example. To explain further intricacies of this question, it would, of course, require making a whole video-essay…
❤Aciu
Mes už Lietuva! LT
>Be Lithuania
>Shelter Belarusian opposition
>Raise money with fundraisers to buy Bayraktar drones, radars, and other equipment for Ukraine
>Spend one of the largest percentages of GDP to help Ukraine
>Beef with China
Why is Lithuania so damn based???
Thank you for making a video about Lithuania in NATO.