Photo: Josvydas Elinskas/ ELTA
Europe and Ukraine should be prepared to reject a deal between the US and Russia that includes significant concessions to the Kremlin, former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told HotNews. He warned that such a deal could even include the withdrawal of US troops from Europe, which would send a dangerous signal to Vladimir Putin.
Negotiations between Washington and Moscow to end the war in Ukraine and Donald Trump’s willingness to make concessions to Russia are causing anxiety in both Kyiv and Europe. Landsbergis believes that decisions may already have been made behind closed doors, and that the current discussions are just a formality.
In his opinion, Europe should be ready to support Ukraine regardless of the US actions, in particular through military assistance and accelerating its integration into the EU. He also stressed that any reduction of the US military presence in Europe could push Putin to new aggressive actions.
European countries need to realise that their security depends on unity and active action, not on hopes for the Kremlin’s goodwill. In this context, it is important not to leave any country behind that was not invited to the last summit in Paris. “Leaving someone out only weakens Europe’s own position,” Landsbergis concluded.
