“You can ask a lot, but you will be asked where the soldiers will train, where they will live? We solve these things – Rūdninkai landfill. In my opinion, we need to start talking about one landfill in Lithuania, ”the parliamentarian told the News Radio on Thursday.

At present, soldiers of both Lithuania and other NATO countries in Lithuania are training in military training grounds, but the available training grounds are sufficiently suitable to receive allies.

The Seimas has recognized the Rūdninkai landfill to be established in Šalčininkai district as a project of special importance in order to shorten the installation works.

L. Kasčiūnas did not name where he would see the new landfill, but said that its establishment could be attractive for municipalities seeking to “inflate their lives”: to put the infrastructure in order, to create jobs.

“Areas with less, less fertile land and more space should be considered,” he said.

He also says that he would consider establishing a joint landfill with Latvia.

“When you have a regional training ground, a training space, it is much easier to invite more allies to our region,” said L. Kasčiūnas.

A new security concept is being prepared for the NATO summit in June, and Lithuania and the other Baltic states are working to turn its international battalions into brigades, thus increasing the number of troops in the countries several times.

Countries in the region also want more air, anti-aircraft defense systems and other capabilities. According to them, it is necessary not only to deter Russia, which started the war against Ukraine, but also to be able to defend itself against it.