Lithuania's chief of Defence asserts Russia remains a threat to Vilnius & NATO

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lithuania has been providing support to Kyiv and imposing sanctions against Moscow. In the latest development, Lieutenant General Valdemaras Rupsys, the commander of the Lithuanian Armed Forces has stated that Russia will not change and will continue to remain a threat to Lithuania and NATO. Speaking to LRT.LT, he asserted that the threat posed by Russia might be even greater and stressed that NATO nations need to be ready to act as a "deterrent." He emphasized that Russia needs to be refrained from taking action as it did in initiating a military offensive in Ukraine. 

According to  Lieutenant General Valdemaras Rupsys, the recovery of Russian forces will take around five to 10 years and it might again become a "conventional threat." Speaking to LRT.LT, the Lithuanian Chief of Defence believes that "Russian revanchism has not gone anywhere" and stressed Moscow lost all the battles as Ukraine was able to understand it. He highlighted that Russia's withdrawal of troops from Kyiv demonstrates its failure to implement its plan. General Rupsys pointed out that the Russian military attack was focused on overthrowing the political power in Ukraine and the armed forces of Moscow believed that encircling the defence potential in East Ukraine would help to destroy the state. 

Russia-Ukraine war 'fundamentally changed everything': General Valdemaras Rupsys

Expressing his views on the change after the war between Russia and Ukraine, Lieutenant General Valdemaras Rupsys stated that the war has "fundamentally changed everything." He stated that the war has demonstrated that NATO is working and has been able to deter the Russian military offensive and is capable to defend its member states, which includes Lithuania, as per the news report. He stressed that Russia is presently involved in war and requires time to restore the military capabilities it had before the war was initiated. The statement of Lieutenant General Valdemaras Rupsys comes as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues for day 62. 

Lithuania provides heavy mortars to Ukraine 

It is to mention here that ever since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lithuania has been providing military support to the war-torn nation. Earlier on 21 April, Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas stated that Vilnius has provided heavy mortars to Ukraine, Interfax reported citing BNS. He further stated that the total cost of all military support provided by Lithuania to Kyiv has been in the tens of millions of euros. Arvydas Anusauskas stated that Ukraine has already received Stinger man-portable air-defence system, other air defence systems, anti-tank weaponry, ammunition, grenades, machine guns, communications equipment, and so on. In addition to this, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on April 13, visited Kyiv to provide a "strong message of political support. and military assistance" to Ukraine. Nauseda travelled to Kyiv along with the presidents of Latvia, Poland and Estonia. 

Image: AP/Twitter/A_ANUSAUSKAS