Baltic leaders confident in Ukraine's victory, but call for protracted conflict preparation
President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda (Photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine will win the war against Russia. However, readiness for a protracted conflict is necessary, state the Presidents of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, Gitanas Nauseda, and Alar Karis.
Furthermore, the leaders of the Baltic countries believe that Russia's ability to learn from its mistakes and regroup in time should not be underestimated.
According to Karis, the prospect of Russia winning the war in Ukraine poses a threat to the entire Western world.
"Firstly, such a scenario is highly hypothetical. We should not even assume that Russia can win this war at all. But if, by any chance, it happens, we will all be in danger, not just the Baltic countries, but the whole of Europe, the entire Western world. This is what we should remind our partners about," says the Estonian President.
The Latvian President states that it's essential to consider the fact that the Kremlin always learns from its mistakes. Russia adjusted its resources and economy for more effective engagement in the war against the Ukrainian people, and its strategy is based on a prolonged period.
"We, as before, should help Ukraine. If Russia attacks any of the Baltic countries or any NATO country in the East, then we must be prepared. We are not going to take risks and will continue to enhance our defense capabilities, improve our ability to confront any challenge. This is what will make them think twice. There is no need to panic, as sometimes felt," he states.
On his part, Nauseda emphasizes that only collectively within the European Union and other allies is there a possibility to directly assist Ukraine in winning the war against Russia.
"I still believe 100% in Ukraine's victory. But we need to understand that the Kremlin regime has no ultimate goal in this war. There are many potential targets, including the Baltic countries, Eastern Europe, and Central Europe," says the Lithuanian President.
