Lithuanian PM says she would be “greatly honored” to meet Trump

Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė has stated she would be prepared to meet with US presidential candidate Donald Trump or his running mate JD Vance, adding that she “would know what to say” and that such a meeting would be “a great honor,” as reported by LRT.

Speaking to TV3 on Tuesday, Ruginienė declined to comment on rumors but confirmed her readiness to engage with high-level foreign leaders. “I would be greatly honored and fully prepared to meet with President Trump or Vice President [Vance], and I would know exactly what to tell them,” she said.

The prime minister emphasized she would not address “various rumors circulating in the public space,” including speculation—reported last week by news portal Delfi—that she had tasked Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys with arranging a meeting with Trump or Vance.

Ruginienė also reiterated her ability to coordinate with President Gitanas Nausėda on matters of international representation, including participation in the European Council (EC). “The president and I are two adults capable of agreeing on a unified position in the international arena and on who will represent Lithuania where,” she stated.

Her comments follow earlier remarks suggesting she could “perfectly well” attend EC meetings, a proposal the presidential office dismissed outright. “There is no discussion on this matter because there is nothing to discuss,” a spokesperson for Nausėda told ELTA, while his chief advisor Asta Skaisgirytė told Žinių Radijas that Ruginienė’s participation in EC sessions was “simply not possible.”

The debate over Lithuania’s EC representation has persisted for years, with conservative lawmakers previously pushing for a legal framework to allow the prime minister to attend meetings based on agenda topics. However, past governments abandoned such proposals, and former Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas saw no need to alter the existing system.

The European Council comprises EU heads of state or government, its president, the European Commission president, and the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs. It convenes at least twice every six months, with additional meetings held as needed.

Ruginienė is scheduled to meet with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez later this month.