Lithuanian Foreign Minister cautions against Russia's potential harm to its neighbors.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis discussed his concerns about Russia's potential to cause harm, despite its declining power, with Planet Chronicle Digital from his perspective as someone located near the Ukraine invasion.

"In 2014, before the first war in Ukraine, people in the U.S. and Western leaders believed that Russia's regional power was declining and its influence was waning. However, Landsbergis warned that Russia could still cause significant damage to its neighbors on its way down."

"He stated that even if Russia were declining as much as Western leaders believe, the death "convulsions" of such a great power could "last for decades.""

It's a very difficult thing to imagine and predict when or how it would stop, he said.

Since the start of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Lithuania has been one of the most vocal nations in Eastern Europe, advocating for NATO's role on the continent.

In 2014, Lithuania failed to meet the 2% defense expenditure requirement, but by 2021, it had exceeded the requirement and continued to increase its defense spending.

In 2023, Lithuania had a 3.2% expenditure, making it one of the top NATO members in terms of percentage of GDP spending, following only Poland, the U.S., Greece, and Estonia.

Landsbergis employed the rise in NATO member defense spending over the past two years, as well as his own actions, to assert that European countries possess the capability to "muster strength" and confront a power as formidable as Russia.

"Even the most critical individuals should acknowledge that Europe's ability to raise more than $100 billion is impressive, given that nobody could have predicted it," Landsbergis stated.

"Is that sufficient? And does it prohibit such actions against your neighbor, like Ukraine, from being repeated in the future?" he inquired. "The issue lies in the fact that every industry in Europe must increase its defense spending in order for Europe to develop."

Landsbergis acknowledged that Europe has room to improve in terms of leadership, but disagreed with the notion that the union has stagnated in recent years.

"Is it correct that the union has 27 members and each member has a veto, as Landsbergis noted?" "It's challenging to achieve a seamless process without extensive debate or consensus-building, as Landsbergis pointed out."

"Currently, we are at a juncture where there is talk about the need for reform. He added that he believes it will happen, and Europe must adapt to the new requirements of this age and time, possibly changing principles as well."