Lithuania unearths evacuation plan for its capital’s 600,000 civilians because the NATO member tells of fears it’s going to be subsequent country invaded through Putin

Lithuania’s capital Vilnius on Wednesday offered an evacuation plan in case of struggle, because the NATO member published its anxieties that Russia may goal it subsequent after its invasion of Ukraine.

Lithuania, a NATO and EU member, has been a staunch best friend of Ukraine since Vladimir Putin‘s 2022 invasion, and has since ramped up defence spending and coaching.

The 3 primary evacuation routes run west, ‘because the enemy has traditionally come from the east’, Vilnius’s Mayor Valdas Benkunskas mentioned at a press convention.

‘We don’t wish to purpose panic,’ he mentioned. ‘Our function is apparent: to have a plan, to have coordination between establishments, to grasp who’s liable for what, and to accept as true with our defence forces… hoping that this plan won’t ever wish to be activated.’

The town goals to carry evacuation drills within the autumn.

Vilnius is solely 20 miles from the border with Belarus, which Russia used as a springboard for its Ukraine invasion.

Lithuanian officers worry Moscow may repeat the situation for any assault at the Baltic nation.

In September, Russia and Belarus will grasp the Zapad army drills, which in earlier iterations drew tens of 1000’s of troops with reference to borders with Poland and the Baltic states.

Vilnius government have mentioned the town of over 600,000 citizens might be absolutely evacuated inside 48 hours.

Firefighters extinguish a fireplace following a drone assault in Poltava, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Lithuania’s capital Vilnius offered Wednesday an evacuation plan in case of struggle (File symbol of the town)

The evacuation plan may be a reaction to threats from herbal screw ups or incidents on the Ostrovets nuclear plant in Belarus.

Lithuanian government had in the past staged decontamination drills and passed out iodide drugs to Vilnius citizens in case of an incident at Ostrovets, a Russian-built facility about 50 kilometres from the capital.

Lithuania says the nuclear plant is unsafe, an allegation denied through Minsk and Moscow.

It comes as US President Donald Trump on Wednesday mentioned a deal on halting the Ukraine struggle used to be ‘very shut,’ however slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over his refusal to officially cede Crimea to Russia.

‘It’s inflammatory statements like Zelensky’s that makes it so tough to settle this War,’ Trump mentioned in a submit on Truth Social.

The outburst got here after US media studies mentioned Trump used to be in a position to just accept popularity of annexed Crimea as Russian territory, and after Vice President JD Vance mentioned land swaps can be basic to any deal.

In his submit, Trump used to be regarding Zelensky’s feedback, revealed within the Wall Street Journal Wednesday, through which he mentioned that ceding Crimea is towards Ukraine’s charter.

‘Ukraine won’t legally acknowledge the career of Crimea,’ Zelensky used to be quoted as pronouncing. ‘There is not anything to discuss right here.’

Trump lambasted Zelensky over the remarks.

A firefighter mans a hose as they paintings to extinguish a fireplace following an aerial guided bomb in Zaporizhzhia area, Ukraine on Monday, March 31, 2025

A Ukrainian serviceman of the 108th Territorial Defence Forces Brigade carries an artillery shell at a frontline place, amid Russia’s assault on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia area

Firefighters paintings to extinguish a blaze following a drone assault in Poltava, Ukraine on Tuesday

‘This remark may be very damaging to the Peace Negotiations with Russia,’ Trump mentioned, including that if Ukraine ‘desires Crimea, why did not they try for it 11 years in the past when it used to be passed over to Russia and not using a shot being fired?’

He added: ‘The remark made through Zelenskyy lately will do not anything however lengthen the ‘killing box,’ and no one desires that!’

‘We are very with reference to a Deal, however the guy with ‘no playing cards to play’ will have to now, in spite of everything, GET IT DONE.’