“The president says that the activities that the Belarusian services are carrying out against us allow us to evaluate all citizens of foreign countries – Russia and Belarus – who cross the border equally,” K. Budrys told “Žinių radio”.
“(The flows need – ELTA) to be severely limited and reduced, because now they are too big. And what our intelligence and counter-intelligence say, you have to take it seriously,” he said.
However, according to him, it is necessary to separate representatives of the Belarusian opposition when making decisions on the restriction of flows from Russia and Belarus.
“Don’t dwell on things that no one questions – the opposition of Belarus, the people who are already here, who already have temporary residence permits in Lithuania, are creating families. And stop scaring them with dire consequences for the purposes of political manipulation,” he emphasized.
Last week, the Seimas decided to approve the amendments to the law, which propose to extend the national sanctions applied to the citizens of Russia and Belarus for another year and to tighten the screening of Belarusians entering the country.
However, during the meeting, the members of the Seimas decided not to consider the proposal of conservative Audronis Ažubalis, that the residence permit granted to the citizens of Russia and Belarus should be canceled in the event that these persons return to their home country more than once in three months.
Although this proposal was presented during the meeting, the necessary quorum of parliamentarians who wanted to vote was not formed.
Budrys calls for a debate on nuclear deterrence: now is the right place and the right time
K. Budrys assures that the discussions about the deployment of nuclear weapons in Poland are necessary. According to him, this is encouraged by the changed position of Russia in the region.
“We need to talk about it just because it’s currently a big topic in Europe and in various capitals. Not because the policy is being revised, but we have to adapt to Russia’s changed posture in the region, as far as non-strategic nuclear weapons are concerned,” K. Budrys said to “Žiniai Radio” on Tuesday.
“We hear that nuclear rhetoric called nuclear clanging all the time, so we have to react to it. (…)One of the things to talk about is that deployment locations in Europe may be different. This is a long process. It is the right place and time to start discussing this publicly,” he added.
As previously announced, after Poland declared that it is ready to deploy NATO nuclear weapons in the country, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said on Friday that such a decision by the Alliance would contribute to deterrence and meet European security expectations.
According to Budris, there is too much countermeasures in the defense debate: let’s make decisions where there is consensus
K. Budrys, the president’s chief advisor, believes that there is too much confrontation in the current discussions regarding defense funding and needs. He claims that this approach is wrong and the government should seek to make funding decisions that are already agreed upon.
“It’s enough to oppose those things. Taxes vs. lending, defense vs. other areas, bien defense capacity vs. tanks. We are moving towards opposition rather than concentration. So let’s make those decisions on a few things on which there is a consensus”, K. Budrys said to “Žinių radio” on Tuesday.
Although the president’s advisor believes that it is possible to make decisions before the Seimas elections, he raises the question of whether there is a will to agree on defense funding.
“Looking at the months since the whole discussion took place, it doesn’t look like we’re in a big rush to make decisions.” Because let’s note that such decisions as the profit tax will take only 2026. the revenue generated by its entry into force is anticipated,” he commented.
The President received the petition of the “4 percent” initiative
According to K. Budris, the president has already received and is evaluating the petition of the “4 percent” business initiative, which requests the establishment of 4 percent. from the gross domestic product (GDP) target for defense financing.
“Yesterday, the president received an appeal from the initiators of this petition and takes it (the petition – ELTA) very seriously,” said K. Budrys.
According to the presidential adviser, it is not strange to talk about 4 percent. before defense has reached 3%, because such a goal is not proposed by the government, but by business.
“If about 4 percent those who cannot agree on 3% would speak, it would be a paradoxical situation. But this time it is necessary to pay attention to the situation, that it is emphasized by an active group of society, which creates enormous added value”, he explained.
Vigilance on the repatriation of mobilized Ukrainians: in order to be effective, a regional solution would be needed
K. Budrys says that Lithuania would be ready to help Ukraine bring back men of mobilization age to the country, if Kyiv saw the need for it. However, according to him, in order to ensure the effectiveness of such political decisions, it would be useful to think about solutions at the regional level.
“To the extent and in the manner that Ukraine deems necessary, we will, of course, talk to them and help implement it. There aren’t even any talks here – just like in other needs, what Ukraine needs,” K. Budrys told “Žiniai Radio” on Tuesday, pointing out that G. Nausėda also discussed this issue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the last meeting in Vilnius.
“Several principles should be maintained – that it is necessary and that it is effective to implement. We won’t raise that flag ourselves or make a political posturing out of it, but that effective solution means that it should still be at least a regional solution between states – and not because we need to politically hold hands with someone or we’re uncomfortable alone , timid, but to make it effective,” the president’s adviser emphasized.
Explaining the importance of the regional decision, K. Budrys said that this would ensure the effectiveness of mobilization processes, because, he continued, Ukrainians avoiding conscription would face the same restrictions even after leaving the country where they currently live.
“If we introduce stricter conditions for living and working in Lithuania for Ukrainian citizens who avoid obligations in Ukraine, and if (they – ELTA) will be able to move to a neighboring country and there will be no such regime – how effective will it be?” It will be more of an imitation,” he explained.
At that time, when asked how the return of Ukrainian men to their homeland could look like in practice, K. Budrys indicated that various ways were possible.
“At the end of the day, we haven’t done it, so we can’t preemptively say that we have a fantastic solution for how it could work,” concluded the advisor to the country’s leader.
