By striking targets on the territory of the aggressor state, Ukraine is changing the rules of the war and demonstrating its ability to increase pressure on Russia, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said ahead of the European Council meeting in Brussels.
“We see that Ukraine is winning this war. We see more and more signs that the war is coming closer to the Russian population. What is happening now in Moscow changes the rules of the game, because the Russian population is beginning to realize that this is not about watching the war on television screens, but about war on their own soil,” Nausėda said.
He also noted that Ukraine is producing a significant number of drones and is successfully scaling up its domestic defence-industrial capacity, which is crucial at this stage of the war.
Speaking about the prospects of a peace process, the Lithuanian leader stressed that Ukraine and Europe must enter it with a clear understanding of their own goals and only when there are real signals from Russia of readiness for negotiations or at least a ceasefire.
At the same time, Nausėda said there are currently “no positive signals from Russia.”
He also recalled that previous attempts by individual leaders to open dialogue with Vladimir Putin were unsuccessful, as they were individual efforts rather than a unified European position.
According to him, as long as Russia is not ready for serious negotiations, pressure must be increased, primarily through support for Ukraine and expanded sanctions.
Regarding the 21st sanctions package, Nausėda added that it is crucial to target not only banks and the shadow fleet, but also the energy sector, including Lukoil, Rosatom, and others.
“So far we have not reached that point. And this is my call to colleagues and leaders — we must do more to inflict greater pain on Russia,” the president of Lithuania said.
