Grybauskaitė: If West concedes, Putin gains space for new aggression

Former Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė said her country will continue to be a responsible partner for the European Union and Ukraine, if the centre-left manages to form a new government.

“There is a strong likelihood that Lithuania will now have a centre-left government. But from a foreign policy perspective, I don’t foresee any serious changes,” she said in an interview with Euronews.

“It will be a continuation of responsible actions toward our partners, with a pro-European, pro-NATO, and pro-Ukrainian stance. In this regard, Lithuania will remain a strong partner for the European Union and our allies.”

In the first round of Lithuania’s legislative elections, with 90% of votes counted, the centre-left Social Democratic Party (LSDP) is in the lead, followed by Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte’s center-right Homeland Union – Christian Democrats (TS-LKD).

The runoff vote is scheduled for 27 October, when the majority of single-member constituencies will vote to choose between the two leading candidates.

Internal security remains a key issue in Lithuania’s elections as the country lies on NATO and the European Union’s eastern flank.

The former head of state argued that a peace deal in Ukraine allowing Russia to maintain occupied territories, as Russian President Vladimir Putin wishes, would only give Moscow time to gear up for new aggression against neighbouring countries, including the Baltic States and beyond.

“If we in the West and NATO allow Ukraine to yield and make this kind of compromise, it will mean the West has failed to stand up to the terrorist state at our borders. This would also mean giving Russia time to prepare for its next round of aggression against its neighbours. And it wouldn’t necessarily be the Baltic states — it could also be Moldova, or even Georgia,” said Grybauskaitė.

The former European commissioner believes that the Russian president will continue to pose a threat to all of Europe as long as he remains in power.

“Putin’s Russia today is a dangerous neighbour. It’s not just Russia — it’s Putin’s Russia,” she said.

“Mainly because Putin has started an open war against his neighbours, and there is no turning back for him. Until his end, he will remain in a war-like state of mind, making him a constant threat to the European Union and its neighbours,” Grybauskaitė explained.

‘Europe must rapidly invest in defence industry’

The former Lithuanian president also believes that the US elections will have an impact on relations with Russia and pose new challenges for the European Union, regardless of the outcome on 5 November.

“With the potential election of Kamala Harris, these challenges will encourage Europe to take on more defence responsibilities and become more self-reliant. If Donald Trump wins, the challenges will be so vast that there won’t be time to discuss and reflect — only to make decisions. From this perspective, Europe must adopt a serious stance to rapidly invest in the defence industry, build military capabilities, and streamline decision-making. There will be no time for debate. Putin won’t give us time to discuss,” she stressed.

Dalia Grybauskaitė was in Portugal for the Estoril Conferences, where she participated in a panel on diplomacy and international cooperation on Friday, alongside former Mongolian President Elbegdorj Tsakhia and former Tunisian Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa.