Latest news with #Landsbergis
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Lithuanian foreign minister tweets sarcastic reminder that Ukraine was promised Taurus missiles and anti-Russian sanctions
Following Russia's latest massive missile attack on Ukraine, former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has tweeted a sarcastic reminder of the new German chancellor's as-yet-unfulfilled promise to supply Taurus missiles to Ukraine and the pledge by Western countries to impose crippling sanctions on Russia. Source: Landsbergis on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: Landsbergis is known for his outspoken criticism of Russian aggression against Ukraine, and he didn't hold back. He posted the message on Sunday after a night of extensive Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian cities and villages. "Hello, sorry to disturb you, but have you heard anything about Taurus and those crippling sanctions? Let me know, thanks," Landsbergis said. Background: Before taking office, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had criticised his predecessor Olaf Scholz for refusing to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles. He even proposed an ultimatum to Vladimir Putin, stating that if Putin did not cease attacks on Ukraine within 24 hours, Kyiv would receive the missiles. After assuming office, Merz altered his stance, stating that any decision on missiles would be made in coordination with allies. He also indicated that he preferred not to discuss specific weapons systems for Ukraine publicly. On 10 May, during a visit to Kyiv, the leaders of France, the UK, Poland and Germany demanded that Russia halt its attacks for an extended period from 12 May, threatening massive sanctions if it failed to comply. But the world's attention then shifted to the peace talks in Istanbul, which yielded no significant outcomes, and the European leaders made no further mention of their ultimatum. The US Senate frequently threatens devastating sanctions against Russia for rejecting peace, but no substantial new restrictions have been implemented. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine and Europe should prepare to fight Russia without US support, former Lithuanian foreign minister says
Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has said that Europe should prepare to fight Russia without American support. Source: Landsbergis in an interview with European Pravda (English translation to follow shortly) Details: Landsbergis said that the US was now more focused on Russia, but this did not mean that Europe had lost. Quote: "I believe that the word 'lost' means something final, and this is not the case now. You know that next week we may see something on Twitter from the [US] president that will fundamentally contradict his current statements. It is quite possible." Details: The former Lithuanian foreign minister believes that Trump's policy has no clear goals. "The biggest problem with Trump is that Putin has already caught him and trapped him. Trump was trapped because of his desire to reach a quick peace deal. To which Putin replied: 'I can make sure you get a quick deal if nothing else matters'," Landsbergis said. He explained that, in his opinion, "nothing else matters" means that the Kremlin leader gets everything. Background: Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that he was discussing "major economic development deals" with Russia in addition to talks on "ending the war" in Ukraine. On 18 February, top Russian and US officials met in Saudi Arabia without Ukraine's participation. The parties agreed to "address irritants" in bilateral relations and continue to work on preparing talks on Russia's war against Ukraine. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff recently said that the US side had come "very close" to reaching a peace agreement to resolve the war waged by Russia against Ukraine. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
When your 'ass is burning, you start to move faster' — Lithuanian minister urges Europe to step up defense
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene urged European countries on Feb. 24 to "move faster" in strengthening their security in the light of recent geopolitical shifts. Speaking in the context of Russian aggression in Ukraine and Europe's need to boost its defense capabilities, Sakaliene said, "When you feel that your own ass is burning, you start to move faster." "So I do hope that we will start to move faster in the next few months," Lithuania's defense chief said at the YES conference event held in Kyiv by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation on Feb. 24, the third anniversary of the Russian full-scale invasion. The comments come as European leaders and other partners gather in Kyiv to devise a common strategy for Ukraine's security and pledge further assistance. The stability of the pro-Ukraine coalition grows uncertain as U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies diplomatic outreach to Moscow while sidelining Ukraine and Europe, casting doubt on his commitment to Ukrainian security. "We need to strengthen our transatlantic bond. Even though we are a dysfunctional family, a divorce is not an option," Sakaliene said at the event, which was attended by the Kyiv Independent. In contrast, Lithuania's former foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, said at the conference that "Europe has to understand we are in this fight most likely alone, there's us and Ukrainians and no one else. We pick up this battle or lose." "Is Europe actually alive? If it still hasn't woken up, what's happening with the patient?" Landsbergis said. Lithuania's former diplomacy chief urged Europe to confiscate the roughly $200 billion in frozen assets frozen in European accounts and deploy peacekeepers on the ground in Ukraine. "The only question that remains is whether we ask Putin for permission. It's not a joke. Leaders in Europe say, 'We will send troops if (Russian President Vladimir) Putin allows it.' This is the mentality, and we need to break it," Landsbergis said. Calls for confiscating frozen Russian assets and taking more decisive steps against Russia were also supported by businessman and oligarch Viktor Pinchuk, the host of the conference. "Europe needs to completely change its understanding of this moment and do something simple but revolutionary—use $300 billion frozen Russian assets for Ukraine, increase the military budget at least to 3%, spend much more money on supporting Ukraine and your own defense, send soldiers to Ukraine, and take Ukraine into the EU now, not later," Pinchuk said at the event. "This is the right response to this moment. You are not just witnesses to this moment; you are participants." Read also: As Trump and Moscow align their vision, battle to stabilize Donetsk front rests on a knife edge We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia's problems in Ukraine don't mean it's unable to attack the West. NATO allies warn its war machine is spun up and as dangerous as ever.
Russia's military has been hammered in its invasion of Ukraine. But that doesn't mean it wouldn't attack the West, officials and Russia experts warned. Estonia's ex-foreign minister said Russia was "probably more dangerous than it has ever been." Russia's military has suffered severe losses in Ukraine, and nearly three years since it launched its full-scale invasion, its soldiers remain locked in a brutal slog. But the West can't rest easy. Moscow has repeatedly threatened Europe, and Russia is on a war footing, rebuilding and reconstituting its army, manufacturing more weapons, and joining forces with nations hostile to the West. Gabrielius Landsbergis, who served until late last year as the foreign minister of Lithuania, a European Union and NATO member bordering Russia, noted in an interview with Business Insider that Russia had been investing heavily in its war machine. The Russians are "not just repairing the tanks from the battlefield, but they're also building ones," he said. "They're building drones" and have had years to test and experiment. They have experienced large-scale combat while the West has focused more on counterterrorism than on preparing for a major war with a near-peer adversary. "I would probably say that Russia is probably more dangerous than it has ever been," Landsbergis said. Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House's Russia and Eurasia Programme, told BI that Russia's struggles in Ukraine didn't preclude the possibility of a Russian attack elsewhere. Giles said that assuming Russia's setbacks in Ukraine meant it wouldn't launch an attack elsewhere "ignores Russia's habit of convincing itself wrongly that it's capable of doing something and then launching the attack anyway." Regardless of whether Moscow gets it right or wrong, "the consequences are devastating," he said. He also noted that heavy troops losses, which Russia sees as cheap assets, had not deterred Russia from continuing its attack on Ukraine. Many of the professional soldiers whom Russia started this war with are now gone, along with tremendous amounts of equipment. The UK's minister for the Armed Forces said in December that the UK thought more than 750,000 Russian military personnel had been killed or wounded since it began its full-scale invasion in late February 2022. Russia often relies on expendable forces and decades-old equipment pulled from storage to plug holes in its army. But Russia's military is far from hollowed out. Its economy and industry are on a war footing and working overtime to rebuild and rearm, and Russia, as the top US general in Europe said in the fall, has forces, such as strategic aviation assets and submarine forces, that "have been barely touched" by the war. That general, Christopher Cavoli, the commander of US European Command, also said the Russian army had grown. "The narrative that Russia has depleted is the most dangerous one," Landbergis said. "Honestly, I think that Russia is not just not depleted. I think that it's clearly on the warpath." He said Russia had "way more personnel than" it had before the war, and while those newer service members have much less training than the soldiers Russia had at the beginning, they are still getting invaluable experience. George Barros, a warfare expert at the Institute for the Study of War, said Russia "has the readiness and the capability to be able to posture and potentially attack members of NATO's eastern flank," which includes Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Andris Sprūds, Latvia's defense minister, told BI "this war has taught us that even a weakened Russia is still a dangerous Russia." "Although Russia's efforts are currently focused on the war in Ukraine, this is not the time to relax and let our guard down," he said, adding that "we estimate that Russia will reconstitute its military capacity within the next five years' time; therefore, we must do everything to prepare against a potential attack." Many European countries are sounding the alarm that Russia may act against them. Sweden started giving citizens a booklet advising them how to prepare for war, and its defense minister recently warned that while Russia's forces were "tied up in Ukraine," Russia "poses a threat to Sweden, as it does to the rest of NATO," adding: "We cannot rule out a Russian attack on our country." Poland's foreign minister also said last year that he would not be surprised if Russia attacked his country. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a defense expert and a former commander for the UK's Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear forces, told BI that Russia, after being "hammered" in Ukraine, was most likely not in a position to attack conventionally. But "the Russian war machine is spun up at the moment," he said, so Russia could be a more serious threat in five to 10 years. He said NATO had "overwhelming power" to meet an attack, but Russia could still cause significant damage. European officials say Russian attacks have started, reporting hybrid attacks like cyberattacks, arson, assassination efforts, and attacks on infrastructure linked to Russia. "Putin is already waging attacks in Europe and testing us and pushing the red lines," Margus Tsahkna, the Estonian foreign minister, told BI. Barros said the Russian hybrid attacks were "acts of war that we decide not to respond to." If the West does not send a strong signal to Russia to stop, Landsbergis said, Russia will escalate. "With no clear repercussions for the actions, they're incentivized to go even further." Landsbergis said his country was preparing for a time when Russia would look elsewhere in Europe. Estonia is doing the same and is, Tsahkna explained, now targeting spending 5% of its GDP, proportionately more than the US, on defense because of "real needs." That share of GDP, now targeted by both Estonia and Lithuania, would be the highest of any NATO ally. Some European leaders and warfare experts warn the continent is not producing enough ammunition and weaponry to deter or counter Russia, despite increasing production rates. Tsahkna said Europe needed "to invest in our defense industry, our capabilities." Sprūds, Latvia's defense minister, said that "we have to invest in our defense" by "increasing defense funding, ramping up production, boosting our resilience, and supporting Ukraine as it fights for all of us." The Baltic states have been on the forefront of the effort. Ultimately, Landsbergis said, "we need to prepare, and the most dangerous times are up ahead." Read the original article on Business Insider
