Baltic countries join G7 declaration of support for Ukraine

The Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian prime ministers said in a statement on Thursday that they were joining the G7 Declaration of Support for Ukraine.

That's according to Lithuanian national broadcaster LRT, Ukrinform reports.

In their statement, Lithuania's Ingrida Simonyte, Latvia's Krisjanis Karins and Estonia's Kaja Kallas said that only NATO membership will provide Ukraine with security guarantees and a credible deterrent needed to avert future aggression by expansionist Russia.

The three Baltic prime ministers expressed their "unwavering support and solidarity with the people and the government of Ukraine who are heroically defending the freedom, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of their country."

"We recognize that Ukraine's courageous fight helps protect Euro-Atlantic security and the rules-based international order," the prime ministers said.

Simonyte, Karins and Kallas said they "have stood together with Ukraine since day one of Russia's unprovoked and brutal aggression" and pledged to keep supporting it "until victory" and to "continue contributing to international efforts to safeguard its independence, sovereignty, security, democracy, and prosperity."

According to the statement, at the NATO Vilnius Summit, the Allies agreed that Ukraine's future is in NATO and the Baltic countries will continue to support this aspiration.

The NATO summit was held in Vilnius on July 11-12. The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries approved the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine.

Belgium, the Czech Republic, Greece, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden later joined the declaration. The list continues to grow.