Lithuanian President Nausėda: war has spread to Russian territory
By striking targets within the aggressor country’s territory, Ukraine is changing the rules of war and increasing pressure on Russia.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda made this statement ahead of the European Council meeting in Brussels, according to Censor.NET.
The war is reaching the Russian population
According to Nausėda, there are increasing signs that the situation on the front lines is changing. He emphasized that the events in Moscow mark a new phase of the war.
"We see that Ukraine is winning this war. We see increasing signs that the war is drawing closer to the Russian population. What is happening in Moscow right now is changing the rules of the game, because the Russian population is beginning to realize that this is not about watching the war on TV, but about a war on their own soil," he said.
He also noted that Ukraine is actively producing drones and building up its own defense-industrial capacity.
Sanctions and pressure must be stepped up
Naudėda emphasized that clear signals from Russia are needed to begin genuine negotiations. This means, at a minimum, a willingness to negotiate or a ceasefire. At present, he said, there are no such signals.
The Lithuanian president noted that previous attempts by individual leaders to engage in dialogue with the Kremlin had failed because they did not represent a unified European position.
He stressed that pressure on Russia must be increased through support for Ukraine and new sanctions. As part of the 21st package of restrictions, it is important to target not only banks and the shadow fleet, but also the energy sector, particularly large companies.
- On June 18, the Russian capital was struck again. In particular, a large-scale fire broke out in the storage tanks at the Moscow Oil Refinery.
