By Andrius Sytas
VILNIUS (Reuters) -Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda appeared on track to secure his second term in office in Sunday’s election, partial results showed, following a campaign focusing on security concerns across the Baltics amid Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Results from some 25% of ballots counted showed Nauseda, 59, winning roughly half the vote, raising the possibility he might secure re-election in the first round of voting.
Three candidates including Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, 49, were vying for the second spot, with just over 12% of ballots each.
If no candidate wins more than 50%, which is likely according to pre-election opinion surveys, a run-off vote will be held on May 26.
Speaking to reporters, Nauseda pledged to keep up pressure on the country’s western allies for increased military support for Ukraine.
“Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy already said it all.
They don’t need our declarations of good will, they are of no use in a fight – they need air defences … Until they have air defences, Ukraine will stay vulnerable,” he said.
Across the region, voters are worried the former Soviet republics that make up the Baltics, now members of the NATO military alliance and the European Union, could be the targets of Russian aggression in the future.
Just over half of Lithuanians believe a Russian attack is possible or even very likely, an ELTA/Baltijos Tyrimai poll found.
Lithuanian intelligence said in March Russia was on track to strengthen its military capabilities along its border with NATO.
Moscow has regularly dismissed Western suggestions that it might consider an attack on a NATO member as nonsense.
(Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; Editing by Alex Richardson, Justyna Pawlak and Chris Reese)
