Linas Jegelevičius
Stunned by US Vice President JD Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference and the following audacious remarks by US President Donald Trump on Ukraine and its president Volodimir Zelenskyy, whom he bluntly called “a dictator,” Lithuanian politicians and analysts alike are scrambling to grasp the emerging new, much less safe security situation for Lithuania and the Baltic region.
Is Lithuania’s security in danger after Trump gave Putin, the Russian President, wings by exonerating him and Russia in a barrage of anti-Ukrainian posts on the social media platform Truth Social?
“I never hid the fact that I am a big supporter of President Trump. His recent remarks on the war being unwinnable for Ukraine – meaning that its borders cannot be restored to their pre-war positions and that NATO membership cannot be granted to Ukraine – are substantiated and must be respected. However, having said that, I want to add this: do not be mistaken about the aggressor – it was Russia,” General Valdas Tutkus, Lithuania’s former Chief of Defence, told BNN, adding:
“Nevertheless, let’s admit that the West and Ukraine provoked it with their NATO plans.”
Tutkus says that both Vance and Trump particularly have said what was in the minds of many soberly contemplating politicians across the political spectrum.
“Any rhetorical question doubting the necessity or continuation of the war, as well as the leadership of President Zelenskyy, was deemed part of the Russian narrative or propaganda. It is preposterous to hear now that, for some, Trump has allegedly fallen into propaganda traps,” the general said.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump shocked European allies by speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone. Concerns are growing that, in his push for peace in Ukraine, Trump might sideline Brussels and Kyiv from negotiations to end the war.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned NATO allies in Europe against assuming that the American troop presence on the continent would “last forever” and urged them to increase their defence spending. Currently, a U.S. rotational battalion is stationed in Pabradė, near Vilnius.
Amid speculations that it could be pulled out, Lithuania’s leadership hastened to calm down everyone that it was not accurate.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stated that remarks from Trump and other White House officials should not be interpreted as “a step toward some kind of divorce.” He suggested that U.S. rhetoric could be part of Washington’s strategy to pressure NATO members into increasing their defence budgets.
However, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys acknowledged that Washington has made inaccurate claims that need correction.
“I wouldn’t call it (Trump’s rhetoric) a Russian narrative. We have seen tougher rhetoric in the past. Yes, some statements do not correspond to reality, and obviously, there is room for correction,” Budrys told Žinių Radijas radio on Thursday, the 20th of February.
His comments followed Trump’s attack on Zelenskyy, in which he blamed him for Moscow’s invasion and called him a “dictator without elections.”
According to Budrys, one such incorrect claim is that the U.S. is providing significantly more aid to Ukraine than Europe.
“This is simply factually untrue. We have all the statistics, and we know that Europe has provided around 30 percent more in aid,” Budrys said.
He clarified that while Washington has given more military assistance to Kyiv, overall, European countries have provided more support in absolute terms.
Budrys also noted that Trump made misleading statements about Zelensky’s popularity and who is responsible for the war in Ukraine.
Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has criticized Trump for calling Ukraine’s Zelenskyy a dictator, describing it as an attempt to pressure Ukraine into surrender.
Speaking as a newly appointed member of the Munich Security Conference Advisory Council, Landsbergis suggested that a deal between Trump and Russian President Putin has likely already been made.
MEP Petras Auštrevičius warns that as Trump and his administration shift the blame away from Moscow, Europe must take decisive action.
“The only response is clear: we will not allow ourselves to be trampled on, nor will we let Ukraine be enslaved. The EU must counter disinformation, but most importantly, ensure the strongest possible military and financial support, especially if U.S. assistance is cut or reduced,” the MEP told BNN.lv
According to him, there is little doubt that the presidents of the U.S. and terrorist Russia will soon meet for a new round of negotiations.
“Europe must be prepared. Even if not with a single voice, it must respond firmly and decisively. The future of Ukraine and all of Europe will be determined by Europeans themselves. The Trump administration and the Kremlin want a resolution at Ukraine’s expense – this is unacceptable,” Auštrevičius emphasized.
The euro parliamentarian says the EU must urgently provide military aid on a much larger scale. It is expected that the European Commission will announce a major new aid package next week.
Auštrevičius says the EU should immediately seize and use over 200 billion euros in Russian central bank assets held in European banks to fund Ukraine’s defence.
The MEP says the EU should explore alternative funding sources, such as Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, which recently posted record profits. Norway could contribute to regional security in exchange for broader cooperation on northern European interests.
Speaking to BNN, MEP Rasa Juknevičienė compared the current situation to the 1938 Munich Agreement, warning that the Euro-Atlantic alliance is undergoing a fundamental shift: “The era in which Europe’s security was primarily guaranteed by the United States is over. Europe must rethink its approach – and it already is.
“Right now, Europe cannot defend itself against Russia alone. That is a fact. But we must act immediately and determine how we will contribute to the creation of a European Defence Union. Will we just watch others build it, or will we take the lead? That question is not just for the President – it is for all political leaders who claim to be pro-European,” Juknevičienė said.
“The answers are not yet clear. But one thing is certain: everything depends on Ukraine,” Juknevičienė concluded.
According to General Tutkus, it is still too early to speculate on what a peace plan for Ukraine will look like. However, he believes that U.S. and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia have already reached a basic agreement.
“Still, a bad peace is always better than a good war. It is better for two nuclear superpowers – the United States and Russia – to engage in dialogue rather than brandishing weapons,” Tutkus emphasized.
“I understand that, for many, warmongering still seems like the preferred approach. But we need a reality check: Russia has been advancing on all fronts in Ukraine throughout 2024 and now clearly holds the upper hand. Without additional funding and support from the U.S., continuing the war, unfortunately, means further territorial losses for Ukraine,” Tutkus added insisting that “Russia is nowhere near capable of waging a new war after its mounting losses in Ukraine.”