Lithuania is a country on the eastern flank of the EU and NATO, which pays increased attention to its security in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine. What are the key priorities and challenges facing Lithuania today? And is there no longer any fatigue in terms of support for Ukraine? Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius answers these questions.
DV: Recently, we have been hearing a lot of alarming warnings - first of all, because of the danger from Russia and Belarus. How do you assess the current level of threats?
M. Sinkevičius: We, politicians, must tell the truth to society. The intelligence agencies naturally inform us, and based on their data, I can say that the level of threats has not changed, has not become more dangerous. The tension remains, but there are no signs of a sharp change. However, all this does not mean that in just a week the situation will not be different, since sometimes events develop very dynamically and unfavorably.
We see what is happening not only on our border. We are faced with instrumentalized migration - they push migrants out of Belarus and direct them towards us. In addition, balloons used for smuggling are constantly arriving from Belarus. Drones have repeatedly flown over our airspace. But at the same time, we see that the issue of distance is no longer a problem only for border countries related to the war in Ukraine.
There were also incidents in Germany, at the Leipzig airport. More and more countries are facing various similar problems. I think that all this creates a sense of anxiety in society, which we need to respond to, because people want to feel safe. And we are really doing a lot to ensure this. The most significant aspect in this regard is air defense. The Lithuanian sky is NATO sky, and if it is secure and protected, then to a significant extent NATO sky is also protected. That is why our efforts are now concentrated in this direction, but for a secure sky serious investments are also needed.
DV: So you think that we should invest in drones and air defense, and not, for example, in tanks?
M. Sinkevičius: I do not think that these things should be opposed. I think that both drones and tanks are important. But I would emphasize the following: neither drones nor tanks will protect us if society does not feel safe, if a person does not feel connected to the state.
If this connection weakens, no technology - whether on the ground or in the air - will be able to protect the state in the way that free people who love and trust their state protect it. Therefore, we need to invest not only in technology, but also in people.
DV: The media, especially Western ones, mention that war fatigue is growing. What is your answer to the question - will Lithuania not get tired of supporting Ukraine? What are the moods in society?
M. Sinkevičius: We supported, are supporting and will continue to support Ukraine. We have committed to allocate no less than 0.25 percent of GDP for this purpose. I understand that a certain war fatigue probably exists. But I ask myself the question - if we, Europeans, feel fatigue, how should Ukrainian society feel? That is why I am glad that not only we, not only the Baltic countries, but also the countries of Western Europe are supporting Ukraine. As President Zelensky says, there are actually two fronts - the front in Ukraine and the Western front. Like this western front - the front of assistance, sometimes it seems less stable.
Zelensky tried to say that the eastern front holds back all Russian aggression against Ukraine, but there is also a front of Western support, which must also remain strong. That is, there must be support and assistance. Because if the western front, relatively speaking, weakens, then on the eastern front - where Russia is fighting against Ukraine - the probability of failure will increase.
DV: And what about relations with Belarus? Can we expect them to normalize?
M. Sinkevičius: This is a complex issue that does not depend only on the position of Lithuania. Currently, we are faced with instrumentalized migration from Belarus, as well as the problem of air balloons - balloons used for smuggling. In addition to illegally transporting goods, they also disrupt the work of our civil aviation - we have repeatedly faced really serious consequences, and all this continues.
So far, we see no signs that Belarus is ready to become a predictable and adequate neighbor that does not pose a threat to our security. But this does not mean that it will always be so. This requires political will and active action. On the other hand, in the current situation, we see that Belarus supports Russia - both openly and covertly - in its aggression against Ukraine. The question is whether Belarus will want to become a democratic and adequate neighbor that does not threaten the security of the region.
Sometimes we see signs of a desire on the part of the Belarusian leader to maneuver between the interests of the West and Russia - a desire to flirt with the Trump administration. But I do not know to what extent this is sincerity or is just a negotiating and strategic position - to maneuver and get benefits from each side. Therefore, I would not predict that anything can be expected to happen quickly. I assume that the status quo suits Lukashenko.