On an average afternoon in Kaunas, a group of children in their early teens cheerfully discuss their day on a commuter bus. They are dressed in camouflage uniforms and carry backpacks. On the main pedestrian street in Lithuania’s second-largest city, soldiers of both genders can occasionally be seen strolling by. The annual Armed Forces and Society Festival has suddenly become a big hit with young people, and ‘Thank you, NATO’ fighter jets circle not only Lithuanian airspace, but also the photos on people’s Facebook feeds. The armed forces Facebook page suddenly boasts over 12,000 ‘likes’ in a country of under three million.
A 2004 promise by George W Bush to defend the Baltic States is written on a plaque on Vilnius city hall. Yet Lithuanians are not entirely confident in the US’s protection, and calls to regard defence as a responsibility that all individuals must share are becoming more frequent.
