He said this in an interview with Voice of America.
The minister believes that de-escalation is only possible if Putin acknowledges the futility of pursuing victory.
He acknowledged that since 2014, the Russians have been bombarding Ukrainian cities and villages with various types of munitions. “I have no reason to suggest that Ukraine should not respond appropriately to halt the aggression. I do not consider providing Ukraine with long-range missiles and fighter jets as an escalation. Instead, I feel that if Russia and Putin understand that victory is impossible, it may lead to de-escalation,” he said.
Rinkēvičs stressed that he supports providing Ukraine with all the weapons systems it needs and allowing it to use military equipment and weapons for legitimate defense, including striking military bases in Russia. According to the minister, this is the right thing to do, and Ukraine should not be prevented from doing so. He emphasized that attacking Russia is entirely legal, considering that the Russian Federation is currently engaging in the same activity in Ukraine.
The Presidents of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, speaking at the Bucha summit, strongly advocated the creation of an international special tribunal to punish Russia for the crimes committed in Ukraine.