Amendments to the law on the usage of armed forces were sent to the Seimas on Monday, October 13, BBC reports.
The amendments will be approved quickly, the Lithuanian Minister of Defense Juozas Olekas hopes. The rapid reaction forces will consist of 2.5 thousand soldiers, he said. They may be put in action within two hours after receiving the President’s order. The Minister explained that Ukraine’s example had made Lithuania create such forces.
"We can see that Ukraine has not introduced martial law so far. A military operation controlled by the Minister of Internal Affairs is conducted there. It shows that we need to change our legal base and be ready for new situations requiring the use of the army,” the Minister claimed.
The amendments will allow using rapid reaction forces even in the peacetime, he explained. The President will be able to mobilize the rapid reaction forces in situations of mass violation of the state border, armed attacks and any other attempts to violate the state’s territorial integrity. The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense also suggested using the rapid reaction forces in emergency situations and for the liquidation of terrorist threats.
