Lithuanian president calls for increased pressure on Russia by creating strategic dilemmas

VILNIUS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Davos on Tuesday called for stepping up pressure on Russia by creating strategic dilemmas for it.

"Provocative actions reveal true intentions, and an inadequate response or appeasement only increases the risk of escalation. We must change Vladimir Putin's calculations by increasing pressure on Russia and creating strategic dilemmas for it," Nauseda said during a World Economic Forum discussion on "Redefining Europe's Place in the World."

The Lithuanian leader stressed that Europe's security strategy must be based on real military power and underlined the need to allocate no less than 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) to defense, his office said in a press release.

He also highlighted the importance of security on NATO's eastern flank and the need for closer cooperation between the European Union and NATO to ensure speed, flexibility and full compatibility with the Alliance's capability priorities.

During the discussion, Nauseda drew attention to the evolving prospects of the United States' involvement in European security and emphasized that Europe must continue strengthening its own defense, technological and industrial capacities.

He said that the transatlantic bond remains strong and irreplaceable, and that cooperation with the United States should be maintained and consistently developed.  

Speaking about peace efforts in Ukraine, the president stressed that lasting peace is only possible with strong security guarantees and real capabilities.

"We appreciate the efforts of US President Donald Trump to end Russia's aggression against Ukraine, and we welcome Europe's active participation in these negotiations," he said.  

Nauseda said that Lithuania supports the US-led 20-point peace plan and the progress made on security guarantees for Ukraine. 

"These guarantees have to be long-term, based on real European capabilities with US backing, and include Ukraine's membership in the European Union by 2030 at the latest. Lithuania stands ready to contribute to the implementation of security guarantees, including through the deployment of troops, and calls on other allies to do the same, as Ukraine today represents Europe's first line of defense," the president's office said.

Discussing values-based leadership, the president pointed to Europe's energy dependence on Russian resources and the resulting vulnerability, and stressed the need for Europe to abandon imports of Russian fossil fuels as soon as possible.

"Today is the moment for Europe to redefine its geopolitical role. We now have a unique opportunity to do so by making timely decisions and taking decisive action," he said.

The president's office said the discussion also included Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and others.