“It also serves as a political message. We do feel the war close to us. We understand that if Russia is not stopped in Ukraine, it could continue. And then it’s the Baltic States who would be next,” Landsbergis told reporters ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday.
“It is not mistrust. It is actually preparing for what could come next. And hopefully, this could send a message enough to our friends and partners in Europe, in NATO, that we have to take it seriously,” he added.
Landsbergis underlined that all countries in the region agree that the timespan to prepare for possible aggression is very limited.
“If Russia is not stopped, we will be those who will be stopping Russia next,” the minister stated.
He also highlighted the need to “reinvigorate” the discussion on helping Ukraine to deal with the fatigue of the West.
“We have to be reminded that Ukraine is fighting not just for itself but also for Europe. And I mean it not in a rhetorical sense but in a very practical sense. So it’s a battle of self-preservation as well for Europe,” said Landsbergis in his doorstep interview.