Maria Martisiute is a Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre focusing on defence, security and foreign affairs.
Her 10+ years of work experience spans NATO, EU, national administration in London and Vilnius, the industry, and NGOs. Before joining the EPC, Maria worked for NATO on reform in defence and security sectors with partners Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Her ideas, coupled with personal lead in restructuring the Directorate and shaping NATO’s cooperative security trust funds reform, proved critical, as did her volunteering efforts with Afghanistan (2021) and Ukraine (2022), letting her tap into complex crisis management environment.
Before that, she worked for the European Commission on EU’s strategic investments in three network infrastructures (TENs), focusing on innovative financing, impact assessment, Eastern Europe, and Rail Baltica project. Several times she accompanied and provided on the spot advice to the Commissioner for Transport during her missions in Lithuania.
Maria lived in the UK, Spain and lately, Belgium. For 3 years she resided in the British-Japanese Chaucer College Canterbury (UK), leading English conversation classes and promoting people-to-people dialogue with international Japanese students. She also assisted Japanese students on subjects involving international relations and European integration.
Maria holds an MPhil degree in European Politics and Society from the University of Oxford and BA with Honours in Politics and International Relations with Spanish from the University of Kent in Canterbury. She spent one Erasmus year at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.
PROGRAMME
PROJECTS
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Foreign, security & defence policy, human security, enlargement, infrastructure, Russia, Eastern Partnership, Indo-Pacific, innovation
CURRENT POSITIONS
Policy Analyst
EDUCATION
MPhil European Politics and Society, University of Oxford
BA Politics and International Relations with Spanish, University of Kent
LANGUAGES
English, Lithuanian, Spanish, French and Russian (intermediate), Japanese and Swedish (basic)
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is one of the few European leaders who has a sober assessment of the Russian threat. So his statements that Russia could attack NATO "within months" are not an exaggeration
What such an attack might look like, and whether it is worth relying on the US to protect against it, Maria Martisiute , an analyst at the European Policy Centre (EPC) in Brussels, told "The Telegraph" .
"I think we may not cover all of the waters of the European Union. But at least the Baltic region could be the first to take such a step," she told LRT. "This could send a very strong signal. Perhaps later this practice could be expanded in the Mediterranean Sea or the Black Sea region. But we have to start somewhere. I think there is enough evidence in the Baltic Sea why such actions could be taken." said Marija Martišiūtė
‘A humiliation and a failure,’ says EPC analyst on EU-Ukraine loan
Maria Martisiute, an analyst from the European Policy Centre, discusses the EU’s agreement to provide a €90bn loan for Ukraine but without using Russian assets.
Au-delà des mots, ce sont les actes qui inquiètent. « Les Américains sont pour le moins ambigus, estime Maria Martisiute, ancienne de l’Otan, aujourd’hui experte au Centre de politique européenne (EPC). Pour eux, la Russie n’est pas une menace, mais un partenaire avec lequel ils s’engagent pour faire des affaires. Les Européens doivent en permanence s’efforcer de limiter les dégâts. Au bout du compte, c’est la dissuasion et la crédibilité de l’Otan qui sont en jeu. Et nos adversaires le voient. »
« C’est la Russie qui escalade. Or la Russie respecte uniquement la force. Il faut tracer des limites. En Ukraine, on a toujours été en retard d’un train », constate Maria Martisiute.
"It is Russia that is escalating. But Russia only respects force. We must draw the line. In Ukraine, we have always been one step behind," observes Maria Martisiute.
Iš Vašingtono Europą pasiekė žinia, kad Amerika mažins finansavimą Baltijos šalių gynybai. Tiesa, oficialūs dokumentai dar nesurašyti, bet apie tokius signalus apžvalgininkai ir politikai kalbėjo jau seniai.
"Мають бути гарантії, а не угоди та меморандуми"
La analista Maria Martisiute considera que la tercera ronda de negociaciones entre ucranianos y rusos en Turquía no logrará avances significativos para detener el conflicto
It is everyone’s right to know how to prepare for and survive crisis and war when the unthinkable happens. As “security is the foundation of everything,” according to the recent high-level EU report by the former Finnish President Niinistö, then civil preparedness is the foundation of every citizen’s rights.
Maria Martisiute, investigadora del European Policy Centre (EPC), considera que Europa debe actuar rápido y coordinadamente para evitar daños mayores ante posibles ataques a sus infraestructuras energéticas
“We need to see European efforts beyond the EU. If the EU takes this step alongside the UK and Norway, we will have greater leverage in defence procurement and support for Ukraine,”
Maria Martisiute, politická analytička Centra európskej politiky (EPC), v prejave pre Brussels Signal 24. apríla tvrdila, že civilný aspekt ozbrojeného konfliktu je kritickým faktorom.
La analista Maria Martisiute, del European Policy Center, valora la propuesta de tregua de 30 días en Ucrania. Defiende que Europa debe rearmarse y tener una estrategia de defensa común ante la incierta posición de Trump, pero el reto es implementar a tiempo las decisiones.
"Đây là xuất phát điểm, một tín hiệu tốt nhưng chưa tiến xa như chúng ta kỳ vọng", Maria Martisiute, nhà phân tích quốc phòng tại Trung tâm Chính sách châu Âu, Bỉ, nhận định. "Bà von der Leyen vẫn chưa hạ hết bài trên tay".
Secondo Maria Martisiute, analista dello European Policy Centre, "le discussioni sono in corso. Funzionari della Nato hanno spiegato che il 2% è la soglia minima, ma che gli obiettivi devono essere aumentati. Molto probabilmente ciò avverrà dopo il vertice Nato di giugno. Naturalmente, nessuno sa a quale percentuale si arriverà."
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by Hankookilbo on Trump's pursuit of peace that is different from common sense.
Read it here!
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by Deutsche Welle on Starmer's visit to the United States
Watch it here.
Articulo14 interviewed Maria Martisiute on the blackouts in Spain & Portugal, European energy security as well as hybrid threats, resilience & civic preparedness.
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by Brussels Signal on Lithuania's evacuation strategies and civic preparedness in light of the war in Ukraine.
Read it here.
Maria Martisiute participated in a webinar with Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies (SIEPS) to discuss the financing of EUropean military build-up.
Watch and read here.
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by Articulo14 on the Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy negotiations on a ceasefire in Ukraine, as well as the progress of “coalitions of the willing” and the integration of Ukrainian defence industry into EUrope.
Read it here.
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by Czech TV about EU Preparedness Union Strategy.
Watch it here.
Maria Martisiute discussed with Lithuanian National Radio & Television LRT data released by the European Parliament 2025 Eurobarometer survey, which shows defence & security as well as economy, industry & competitiveness as top priority areas identified by the Europeans. I also discuss the differences of perceptions between Northern / Eastern Europeans & the Southerners.
Watch it here.
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by Deutsche Welle on EU’s rearmament, defence spending, defence partnerships with third countries such as the UK, and collaborative procurement.
Watch it here.
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by ARD German TV on rearmament and defence spending.
Watch it here.
Maria Martisiute was featured in the WORLD podcast on the EU's aid to Ukraine and defence and security measures being discussed.
Listen and read here.
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by Articulo 14 on Putin's plans to expand his influence to other states in Europe and how Ukraine is leading a European war.
Read it here.
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by Euronews on the EU's newly proposed defence and security package deal.
Read here.
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by the New York Times on European defence spending and preparedness, in light of decreased American aid.
Read it here
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by Deutcsche well on UK's Ukraine Summit with European and NATO leaders, highlighting that Europe and Ukraine have agency and need to create leverage towards Trump and Russia.
Watch it here.
Maria Martisiute joined the Deutsche Welle televised News Desk to discuss European defence and security.
Watch it here.
Le Figaro interviewed Maria Martisiute on russian bots and servers infiltrations european institutions.
Read it here!
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by Hankookilbo on Trump and Europe's defence spending.
Read it here!
Maria Martisiute is referenced in the NATO compendium about her EPC paper on lesson learned on human security from the war in Ukraine.
Read it here!
Maria Martisiute's wrote a piece on readiness and civil prepardness for International Policy Digest.
Read it here!
TVP World interviewed Maria Martisiute on bolstering military spending and how Europe is shifting its mindset on defence.
Watch here!
Maria Martisiute's Op-Ed on civil prepardness was picked up by Eureporter.
Read it here!
Maria Martisiute's Op-Ed on civil prepardness was picked up by ActiveNews in the United Kingdom.
Read it here!
Maria Martisiute proofread and provided a commentary on a policy paper produced by Elisabeth Rehn- Bank of Ideas .
Read it here!
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by Euronews on the topic of NATO's defence spending.
Read it here.
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by China’s Central Television CCTV on the creation of the new EU Post for Defence & Security and what it means for European and defence & security
Watch it here!
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by VOA about the 2024 US Presidential election and what should Europe expect.
Watch it here!
Maria Martisiute was interviewed by IQ on the EU Commissioner-designate Andrius Kubilius and the current and future perspectives of the European defence.
Read it here!
Maria Martisiute gave an interview to Podrobnosti about Mark Rutte and NATO.
Read it here!
Maria Martisiute participated in a conversation with SverigesRadio on NATO and Stoltenberg.
Read here!
Maria Martisiute joined Euronews radio Schuman to discuss the new European Defence and Space Commissioner's job and how likely he is to strengthen EU armies.
Listen here!
Maria Martisiute was on Brussels my Love! to talk about wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, mandatory conscription in Europe and UN reform.
Watch here!
Maria Martisiute participated in a radio interview with Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT), on the distribution of the European Commission’s portfolios
Read it here!
Watch it here!
Watch here!
Read it here!
Watch it here. (Only available in Germany)
Watch it here.
Read it here.
Read it here!
For more information on the event, please consult this page.
