How the West should deal with Russia.
Rasa Juknevičienė's @RJukneviciene, former Minister of Defense of Lithuania (2008-12) take.
"The most important is not to be afraid, despite that Russia is a nuclear power, despite that tensions are on the table."
Rasa Juknevičienė's @RJukneviciene, former Minister of Defense of Lithuania (2008-12) take.
"The most important is not to be afraid, despite that Russia is a nuclear power, despite that tensions are on the table."
@RJukneviciene "Don't feel guilty. We are not guilty. NATO is not an offensive structure."
@RJukneviciene Putin's tactics, long-term, @RJukneviciene's take.
"Kremlin is using attacks below Article 5 all the time to create low tension wars against democracies. Because for democracies it's very dangerous to live in these tensions."
"Kremlin is using attacks below Article 5 all the time to create low tension wars against democracies. Because for democracies it's very dangerous to live in these tensions."
@RJukneviciene "And they understand: every 4-5 years there is an election, even 4-5 years there are new presidents and new parliaments and people are exhausted, people are afraid."
@RJukneviciene "For Putin, to live in such a situation [military build-up on the Ukrainian border], as we live now, is useful, because they are organizing their own people, but for democracies it is dangerous."
@RJukneviciene "That's why they try to put us into a situation when we always discuss and are afraid, and he [Putin] is getting something that prolongs his kleptocratic regime (which is [the] most important [aim] for them). He expects that some important countries maybe will be frightened."
@RJukneviciene Short-term Putin's aim, according to @RJukneviciene, could be either Nord Stream 2 or Ukraine.
@RJukneviciene "If someone says today, 'If you will attack Ukraine again, certification will not come for Nord Stream 2,' what does it mean? It means that if [you will] not [attack] — you will get NS2. But we, as the European Union don't need NS2 at all not to be more dependent"
@RJukneviciene "Putin and Kremlin desperately need Ukraine. It is very important to them for 2 reasons. First, there is no empire without Ukraine (and, of course, together with Belarus), and because of the bad example for Russians themselves, if success of Ukraine will happen."
@RJukneviciene "We're trying to understand what does Russia mean. Maybe it is just a kleptocratic brutal regime which we, the West, can overcome because we are stronger. Don't be afraid. Let's go forward."
@RJukneviciene Source: @RJukneviciene's speech at European Parliament event What Deters Russia on 20 December.
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