Russia will try to force Ukraine through another cold winter – Nauseda
Russia will not change its aggressive behaviour in the coming months, while peace talks may resume in the spring.
As Censor.NET reports, citing Ukrinform, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said this before the start of the European Arctic Summit, which is taking place in Rovaniemi (Finland), on September 14.
"I assume that Russia will use another opportunity to test the resilience of the Ukrainian people. It will try to force Ukrainians through another cold winter," Nauseda said.
He added that no change in the aggressor state's behaviour should be expected in the near future.
"I think that limited progress will be made in any peace negotiations that are now anticipated. At best, we can expect peace talks to resume next spring," the Lithuanian president said.
Russia threatens everyone
He stressed that the Russian threat is not limited to the Baltic states or Poland.
"For me, this is a clear signal that Russia is challenging all of us this time. We should not speak only about specific geographical regions, as Russia’s intentions are much broader: it seeks to test the rule of law, our way of life and democracy," Nauseda stressed.
He added that Moscow would likely step up its efforts in this direction.
"It would be naive to expect the Arctic to remain free of such threats," the Lithuanian president noted.
Nauseda calls on NATO to strengthen military presence in Arctic
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called on NATO to strengthen its military presence in the Arctic region. He stressed that the European Union and the Alliance should not duplicate each other’s work but complement it.
"Europe must do its part by strengthening economic resilience and connectivity. At the same time, NATO must seize the opportunity to strengthen its military presence and deploy forces in this region," Nauseda said.
Deterring Russia is a key factor
According to the Lithuanian president, one of the main tasks is to ensure effective deterrence of Russia.
"If we demonstrate reliability, act proactively and respond to threats, we can count on a sufficient level of deterrence to prevent Russia from daring to test our ability to defend ourselves," he said.
Nauseda also drew attention to China’s growing presence in the Arctic. According to him, it is currently mainly research- and science-oriented, but could be supplemented by military activity in the future.
Lithuania calls for a joint approach to security
The president stressed that the security of the Arctic region and the Baltic Sea are interconnected.
Therefore, he said, countries should take a joint approach to ensuring security in the region and coordinate efforts to counter potential threats.
