As a NATO and EU member prepares to increase defense expenditure to address the perceived danger from neighboring Russia, Lithuania will vote in a presidential election on Sunday that will be heavily influenced by security concerns.
The 2.8 million-person Baltic state is afraid that if Moscow prevails in its war on Ukraine, which started with an invasion in 2022, it would target it next.
“Lithuania’s understanding of the Russian threat is unanimous and unquestionable, so the main candidates are following suit,” Eastern Europe Studies Centre director Linas Kojala told AFP.
Gitanas Nauseda, a 59-year-old former banker, is now leading the field of seven contenders, which includes well-known attorney Ignas Vegele and prime minister Ingrida Simonyte, according to opinion polls.
In addition to leading defense and international policy and participating in summits of the EU and NATO, the president of Lithuania must confer with the government and parliament before designating the highest-ranking officials.
The top three contenders have different opinions about Lithuania’s relations with China, which have been tense for years over Taiwan, but they agree on defense.
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