Baltic military conference begins in Vilnius with focus on European defence

A two-day international military conference opened in Vilnius on Thursday, bringing together high-ranking defence officials to address strategic security challenges and strengthen NATO’s collective defence in the Baltic region, LRT reports.

The sixth annual Baltic Military Conference will focus on reinforcing Europe’s defence capabilities, adapting to modern warfare, and coordinating responses to hostile state actions, according to Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defence.

Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas emphasised that threats from the East are no longer theoretical but measurable through missile deployments, disinformation campaigns, and hybrid attacks on civilian infrastructure. “This conference is not about whether we need to strengthen defence, but about how we are doing it today—and what we can learn from each other through shared capabilities, integrated air defence, and concrete investment commitments,” he said.

The event serves as a platform to align political and military preparedness with allies ahead of the upcoming NATO summit. This year’s attendees include EU Military Committee Chair General Sean Clancy, German Deputy Armed Forces Chief Lieutenant General Nicole Schilling, and NATO’s Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation General Aurelio Colagrande, alongside other senior military leaders and defence policymakers.

Previous editions of the conference, first held in 2019, have hosted figures such as NATO’s former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe Admiral Sir Keith Blount, Pennsylvania National Guard Major General John R. Pippy, former US Army Secretary Ryan D. McCarthy, and Ukraine’s ex-Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov.

The conference is organised by the Ministry of National Defence and the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania.