Threat is real: Lithuanian defense minister calls for building up NATO's defense and deterrence capabilities in Baltic States

Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas shared his opinions in an interview with Anadolu.

"Our country borders the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation and Belarus. Russia's war against Ukraine confirms the reality of the military threat. Russia's aggressive military rhetoric, intense militarization of the Kaliningrad region, as well as the factor of Belarus, which is fully integrated into the Russian military system, do pose a real threat to Lithuania and the region as a whole," he emphasized.

Anusauskas noted that Lithuania is considering all possible options for modernizing its army and increasing the country's defense capabilities.

According to him, the threat from Russia will become even more real if Ukraine loses. Therefore, Lithuania plans to continue to help Ukraine in every possible way, and urges NATO to increase defense and deterrence capabilities in the Baltic States.

"The Ukrainian Armed Forces must receive all the necessary military support to defeat Russia," the minister emphasized.

• Earlier, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that there can be no negotiations with Russia, Ukraine must defeat Putin.