Kara McDonald, the new US ambassador to Lithuania emphasized in an interview published on LRT.lt that despite rising tensions in the Middle East, America remains committed to “broad and deep” support for NATO’s eastern flank, and called the commitment of the US to defend every inch of NATO territory “sacrosanct”.
“I have no higher priority as ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania than security, defence, deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank…the United States remains fully committed to our security relationship, our defence cooperation is part of that backbone. It is evidenced by the 1,000 troops that we have here in a persistent heel-to-toe presence.” In her view, the latter is the appropriate and most productive expression of deterrence in this region.
The 800 million dollars in security assistance that has been given by the US to Lithuania with the point of modernizing Lithuania’s capabilities also enhances interoperability and capabilities within NATO. She also noted that Lithuania’s role with its 2.75-percent GDP spending on its individual and NATO’s collective defence is a gold standard among NATO allies.
“The Kremlin has clearly in recent actions and its horrific attack on Ukraine tried to divide, to diminish, and to weaken our alliance and our defence and deterrence on the eastern flank of NATO. But exactly the opposite has happened. We now have an alliance that is more united, stronger and larger than ever before.” With the Baltic Sea essentially being circumscribed by NATO members, it is transformative for Lithuanian and Baltic security, as Finland and Sweden come with great capabilities.
The ambassador commended the Lithuanian government for being open and taking a lead role in reckoning with history, but this is an area where she will continue to strongly advocate that those individuals who are known and documented to have participated in Holocaust activities not be allowed to be glorified, as that is a part of the anti-Semitism definition.
With regard to Lithuania’s adoption of a same-sex partnership law, the ambassador observed that Lithuania is one of the very few countries in the European Union that does not have a basic rudimentary civil union law that would apply to all couples, regardless of orientation. “So it is very much the position of my administration to strongly support the passage of that legislation.” She believes that it is important relate this to combating hate, discrimination and what we see coming out of Russia, where there is obvious fuelling of hate against minority groups, fuelling division and intolerance of various minority groups.
Asked about the presidential election in the US, the ambassador would not comment on an outcome of the US election or speculate on what policies might be considered.
Her ancestors were from northeastern Poland, not Polish but German-speaking Mennonites from the area around the Suwalki Gap – formerly part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Many of the foods in Lithuania remind her of her childhood, and she is glad to continue learning the language.
