Lithuania was the first country that has come to help Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky said in his virtual address to the Lithuanian parliament Seimas.

“You were among the first to come to help in Ukraine and you remain the most concerned about peace and security in Europe. Ukrainians will long remember the efforts and sincerity of the Lithuanians. I am grateful to you, Mr. Gitanas [Nausėda], that you were the first […] to take a decision and to send us real assistance, that is weapons, Stingers, etc. That was the proof of leadership.

The Lithuanian nation is more aware than anyone how occupiers can destroy freedom and what is the cost of restoring independence. This was the type of leadership needed for the entire European continent…

I have doubts about Europe’s resolve to stop the war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. If there is still no clarity on Russia’s gas, no one can be certain that there is a common will in Europe to stop Russia’s war crimes”, - he said.

According to Zelensky, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have been taken to Russia in a bid to silence them on war crimes committed by the Kremlin’s forces.

“They massively deport people from occupied districts. They have already taken away hundreds of thousands of people who are being sent to concentration camps. They take their documents, interrogate, humiliate or kill them. Many of the deportees are sent to Russia’s regions and are banned from leaving. It is an attempt to get rid of all witnesses of war crimes”, - he added.