Why the Lithuanian President Thinks “Ukraine Is Only the First Target” | DW News

Feb 17, 2025 | Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda warned not to underestimate the long-term threat that Russia would pose to Europe in the coming decades. Speaking with DW’s Teri Schultz, Nauseda said Putin was not planning to stop in Ukraine. A quick peace deal would only provide Russia with a break in fighting and allow it to restock, produce more ammunition and attack once again, possibly also other targets, like Baltic countries such as Lithuania. Instead, the West should negotiate with Russia from a position of strength, Nauseda said, and Europe should be part of such negotiations. But to be able to do so, European states need to unite and increase their military spending, he emphasized, something the United States have long called for.