‘I don’t trust them’: Lithuanian president warns Putin’s provocations will continue
“The Russians will only pretend to negotiate" over Ukraine, Gitanas Nausėda warned in an interview.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has expressed skepticism about a conventional Russian attack on NATO territory in the near future, but warns that Russian President Vladimir Putin's provocations will persist. Speaking to WELT in an interview, Nausėda noted that Russia's resources are focused on the Ukrainian battlefield, where they are not achieving success.
He also stated that Putin is testing NATO and moving closer to Article 5, the collective defense commitment of the alliance. According to Nausėda, Russia is conducting a hybrid war, which includes drone incursions, cyberattacks, and arson, among other tactics. This hybrid war will continue, not only in NATO's eastern flank but also in Germany, Denmark, and other countries.
The Lithuanian president emphasized that Russia is testing the determination of NATO members to respond collectively when certain red lines are crossed. Nausėda, who has been in office since 2019, also sees no serious willingness in Moscow to negotiate an end to its war against Ukraine before spring. He believes that Russia will use the winter months to maintain pressure on Ukraine through air strikes on cities.
Nausėda expressed a lack of trust in Putin, stating that the Russians will only pretend to negotiate and make demands that are unacceptable to Ukraine from the outset. If Ukraine survives the winter, he added, the chances of serious talks will improve in 2027, though he does not expect them to occur any earlier.
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