Three scenarios with Russia – war, threat, or occupation, says Lithuanian FM

According to European Pravda, Budrys made these remarks at a press conference alongside Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Tuesday.

Responding to a question about Russia’s intentions toward Lithuania and the real possibility of a Russian attack on the Baltic states, Budrys stated that NATO intelligence services have reached a consensus: "Russia is a long-term direct military threat to NATO."

“This assessment has all the grounds. In particular, these are Russian plans and capabilities that are planned to be deployed very close to NATO. They have been investing in this for decades and are clearly preparing for a long-term confrontation with NATO,” the minister emphasized, as reported by European Pravda.

Budrys highlighted that Russia continues to use military force to achieve its political objectives.

“These political goals are obvious — Putin has already expressed them several times,” he stated. “He said that he wants the Americans to be out of Europe. He wants to dominate Europe... He wants Lithuania not to be a prosperous country.”

The Lithuanian minister underscored that Russia poses an enduring and serious threat, making deterrence a necessity.

“We have three options with Russia: either a war with Russia, or a threat from Russia, or occupation. To avoid the latter, you need to be in a position where you can deter. Otherwise, you will be in a position of war,” Budrys warned.

He further stressed that Lithuania views sustained support for Ukraine, as well as Ukraine’s NATO membership, as integral to the strategy of deterring Russian aggression.

“I have no illusions about this regime and their intentions, no matter what stories they tell about cooperation,” Budrys stated. “They don’t need it; they need territories, they want to subjugate their neighbors. This is who we are dealing with, and you know it better than anyone else.”

• A ceasefire in Ukraine would allow Russia to rearm and shift troops north, increasing the security risk for Baltic nations, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania warn.