The Lithuanian Minister of Defense believes that NATO is going through a very difficult period due to the slowness of Europe to develop its defense capacities.
While the United States deem unrealistic to consider a return from Ukraine At its borders before 2014, the Allied countries of NATO meet this Thursday in Brussels on Thursday to discuss their defense expenses and the potential conditions of the settlement of the conflict between Kyiv and Moscow.
“Find ways to generate strength”
Guest in the Eurenews Europe Conversation show, Dovilė Šakalienė, the Lithuanian Minister of Defense has recognized that NATO is currently going through a critical period: “I think we are at the beginning of a very difficult process in which we will have to find specific ways to generate force”she said.
“I also understand that there is an agreement in the room on the fact that our own capacities are necessary, because how can we permanently help Ukraine if our own defense capacities develop more slowly than those of the aggressor ? The size of the Ukrainian army and the size of our defense industry, of our own defense capacities, do not correspond to the speed of the Russian military industry, of the REW transition from the peace economy to the War economy, from the Russian Russian troops to a fairly threatening speed “she added.
The leaders of the 27 Member States are currently wondering how to fill a defense deficit of 500 billion euros in the next decade in order to continue to provide Ukraine what it needs to defend itself and guarantee that the block can protect itself if necessary.
Polish leader Donald Tusk said he “would oppose the taxation of restrictions on weapons purchases”while his Lithuanian counterpart, Gitanas Nausėda, called the EU “To move on to a positive economic program” With the United States, by buying more natural gas and military equipment.
The American Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth insisted on the fact that the rapid push of President Donald Trump in favor of peace talks on the Russian war in Ukraine was “Not a betrayal” of Kyiv on the part of one of his most important allies.