Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė, who grew up under Soviet rule and was not allowed to celebrate Christmas, is wary of any negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin due to the historical trauma her family has experienced at the hands of Russia. She believes that tough diplomacy, with a “gun on the table,” is the only effective way to deal with Russia, as history has shown that Russia has never kept its agreements. With Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine ongoing, Trump has engaged in direct talks with Russia, and Šakalienė hopes that his tough approach may keep Putin in check.
Lithuania, located in Eastern Europe with a small population of 2.8 million, cannot afford to ignore Russia as it shares borders with both Russia and Belarus, which she says is now a platform for the Russian army. The country is ramping up defense spending in response to Russia’s actions, with plans to exceed Trump’s demand that NATO allies spend 5% of GDP on defense. The U.S. currently spends 3.4%, and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has urged NATO allies to increase their defense spending as well, stating that the United States will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship.
Šakalienė believes that Western Europe has lagged behind on defense spending due to an illusion of an idealistic world where wars are over. However, she emphasizes that Russia has not changed its approach, and the democratic world’s blindness to this reality has put them in a dangerous position. She warns that Putin has more imperial expansion plans in hand and is building an army of 1.5 million soldiers, despite heavy battlefield losses in Ukraine. The support of China in boosting Russia’s military production is seen as a contributing factor to Russia’s continued aggression.
In response to the possibility of Trump not defending NATO allies who do not meet defense spending targets, Šakalienė supports the idea of burden-sharing in order to have a strong alliance. Lithuania, as a member of the European Union, has cut off Russian oil and gas supplies and is striving to become independent of Russian energy sources. Furthermore, Lithuania is withdrawing from international agreements on cluster munitions and anti-personnel landmines in order to be ready to protect its borders from potential Russian aggression.
As a deeply devout Christian, Šakalienė emphasizes that Russia’s actions are not only a threat to neighboring countries but also to the Christian faith itself. She points out that Soviet Russia tried to annihilate the church in various countries and has now co-opted Christianity for nefarious purposes. Šakalienė warns that churches in Ukraine are being bombed and robbed, and the Christian community in Ukraine is being persecuted and their heritage destroyed. She concludes with a final warning to not underestimate the country’s enemies and to see them for what they truly are.
