Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda emphasised the need of Ukraine’s full involvement in peace negotiations and elevated protection spending by regional international locations to forestall future Russian aggression.
In an interview with the Related Press, Nauseda warned {that a} peace settlement with out correct deterrents would permit Russia to consolidate its forces and put together for additional navy motion."You can not consider that the intentions of Russia can be simply to cease and do nothing," he mentioned, stressing that any ceasefire would offer Russia a break to rebuild its navy capabilities.
Nauseda additionally raised considerations about potential Russian targets, together with Ukraine and the Baltic international locations, ought to the struggle attain a ceasefire.
Lithuania, a rustic with a historical past of Soviet occupation till 1990, faces ongoing fears of Russian aggression. Its geographical place, bordering Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and Moscow’s ally Belarus, makes Lithuania susceptible to additional battle. Nauseda defined that, even after a possible decision to the struggle in Ukraine, Lithuania will stay uncovered to threats from Russia for the foreseeable future. "You all the time have the risk from the East, and also you have to be conscious and take all the required precautionary measures so as to not be attacked," he cautioned.
Lithuania lately dedicated to rising its protection spending to at the least 5% of its GDP, following a push from U.S. President Donald Trump. This transfer contrasts with some NATO international locations, which have resisted such a major financial burden. However, Lithuania sees this dedication as important for its safety.
Nauseda echoed this sentiment, noting the necessity for his nation to strengthen its protection capabilities in mild of the continued battle. "That is a completely clear precedence for this nation, as a frontline nation, that now we have to spend extra," he asserted.
Within the context of the struggle in Ukraine, Nauseda harassed the significance of together with Kyiv in any peace talks. He declared it could be "unacceptable if the peace can be set behind the doorways and with out the involvement of Ukraine," acknowledging the nation's sacrifices within the struggle. He reiterated that Ukraine "deserves the fitting to set the situations of this peace."
As considerations develop in regards to the safety of the Baltic area, Lithuania can be targeted on the rising risk to its undersea infrastructure. Since October 2023, at the least 11 Baltic cables have been broken, sparking suspicion that the injury could also be intentional. The newest incident occurred when a fiber optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland ruptured. In response, NATO launched a mission known as "Baltic Sentry" to guard important underwater infrastructure. Nauseda known as for elevated maritime capabilities within the area, urging NATO and the EU to take stronger measures to forestall future incidents. "It’s time for us to point out some muscle," he declared.
Regardless of some objections inside Lithuania concerning the rise in navy spending, Nauseda argued that the nation should take duty for its protection. Whereas Lithuania can depend on NATO allies, the president emphasised that it could be naive to imagine others would prioritize the nation's safety if it didn’t exhibit the power to guard itself.
The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy