Lithuania has opened a cultural centre for displaced Ukrainians in the capital of Vilnius, according to the office of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Established at the initiative of the nations’ First Ladies, Olena Zelenska of Ukraine and Diana Nausediene of Lithuania, the centre will offer education, career and psychological services, as well as recreation and childcare.

Lithuania has sheltered more than 50,000 Ukrainians fleeing the war, according to a statement from Zelensky’s office.

Like other European countries, Ukrainians who have relocated to Lithuania and hold a valid visa are allowed to work in the Baltic nation without having to obtain a work permit.

Vytautas Magnus University has provided space for the cultural centre in Vilnius. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, Nausediene promised to “do everything possible to make Ukrainians feel safe in Lithuania”.

New York Times News Service