VILNIUS, August 21. /TASS/. The troops that Lithuania may send to Ukraine as part of international security forces will not take part in combat operations, the Baltic nation’s Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said.

"Sending our troops to Ukraine would not be a combat mission. The contingent would not be deployed to the frontline or participate in military operations," she told the Ziniu Radijas radio station.

According to the defense chief, the deployment of troops to Ukraine requires a ceasefire and a clear US role in security forces.

Lithuanian Presidential Advisor Dainius Zikevicius said earlier this week that Vilnius was ready to take part in efforts to ensure security in Ukraine at a scale similar to the country’s participation in NATO’s operation in Afghanistan.

Between 2005 and 2013, Lithuania headed a NATO group for the reconstruction of Afghanistan’s Ghor Province, fully funding its activities in 2007-2013. The group consisted of about 150 Lithuanian soldiers and officers, along with military and civilian experts from several other countries.