It would be naive to expect that Putin will simply back down after Zelenskyy’s letter, - Lithuanian Defense Minister Kaunas
Lithuanian Minister of National Defense Robertas Kaunas stated the need to achieve a just peace, but expressed doubt that the Kremlin would voluntarily abandon its goals.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by Delfi.
Kaunas made this statement following the release of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s letter to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. The Lithuanian Minister of National Defense expressed his commitment to establishing a just peace.
"Surely, we all hope and want a just peace to prevail in the end. A just peace means the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea. And every step designed to show the Russians that this is a war they started, and that all the consequences, everything we have endured, and the deaths of Ukrainian people are entirely their fault, I think, is welcome," Kaunas said.
Reflecting on whether Zelenskyy’s letter will have the desired effect, the Minister of National Defense stated that it is likely naive to expect Putin to simply back down. According to him, the international community must focus even more on supporting Ukraine and provide it with more decisive assistance by supplying weapons to strengthen the defending country’s advantage over Russia.
What led up to this?
- On 4 June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published an open letter to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, in which he proposed a meeting.
- In the letter, Zelenskyy proposed that Putin end the war "in a format between us and you" and set a specific date for the meeting. Among the countries that could host such a meeting, the head of state named Switzerland, Turkey and countries in the Arab world.
- While negotiations are ongoing, Ukraine is ready to implement a full ceasefire, with the US providing monitoring.
- The President of Ukraine believes that an exchange of prisoners of war on an "all for all" basis could serve as a good prelude to ending the war. Zelenskyy also emphasised steps to return civilians and children who were taken away during the war.
- Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, stated that Putin had been briefed on the letter from the President of Ukraine.
