Lithuanian Foreign Minister accuses Germany of fearing consequences of a Russian defeat
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis indirectly accused Berlin of being afraid of putting Russia on the brink of defeat in Ukraine. "I think the most important thing we should discuss is fear,” he said on Monday, January 23, at a meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels. "We must overcome the fear of defeating Russia when it comes to additional sanctions or additional military assistance to Ukraine."
Landsbergis stressed that the Europeans are deterred from strengthening sanctions or providing military assistance by fear of what will happen if Russia loses the war. Asked if he feared a nuclear war, the Lithuanian minister replied that Moscow must be defeated no matter what. "If we do not prepare for the fact that Russia will lose the war, then we do not take seriously helping Ukraine to achieve its victory," he said. If we accept this fact, then answering the rest of the questions, according to Landsbergis, will become much easier. "Then we will be able to supply all the weapons that Ukraine needs, and we can impose sanctions against Russia that will prevent it from waging war, and by doing so we can really help Ukraine regain all its territories," he added.
Speaking about the supply of tanks to Ukraine, Landsbergis noted that he would not like to wait any longer for Kyiv to receive them, but he has to do it. He expressed hope that the ongoing discussions on the supply of main battle tanks will lead to a positive decision.