'Lithuanian skies are NATO skies': DW speaks with Lithuanian premier Mindaugas Sinkevicius

Lithuania is on NATO's eastern flank, bordering Belarus and Russia's Kaliningrad region. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, security has become one of the country's central political priorities.

The 42-year-old Mindaugas Sinkevicius recently took over as prime minister and also leads Lithuania's Social Democratic Party, a moderate center-left political force. In an exclusive interview with DW, he said he is concerned by the growing popularity of populist and far-right parties across Europe , particularly in Western Europe. But he also argued that the picture is more complicated, pointing to Social Democratic governments in several European countries and signs of renewed support for the center-left elsewhere.

For Lithuania, the war in Ukraine is closely connected to its own security. The country has experienced a series of incidents involving drones , instrumentalized migration and weather balloons entering its territory from Belarus. Sinkevicius said these developments have contributed to a broader sense of insecurity across Europe.

"As politicians, we have to tell society the truth," he said, identifying air defense as Lithuania's most urgent security priority.

Copyright for this text belongs to Deutsche Welle.