Minister of Defense of Lithuania named the Baltics and Poland as Russia's nearest targets
Kyiv • UNN
Due to failures in the war against Ukraine, the Kremlin may resort to new escalation. According to the minister, the Baltic region and Poland are the nearest targets.
Due to Russia's failures in the war against Ukraine, the Kremlin may resort to a new escalation, with the Baltic countries and Poland among potential targets. This was stated on LRT Radio by Lithuania's Minister of National Defense Robertas Kaunas, reports UNN.
Details
"The war in Ukraine is not going as Russia planned; they cannot win the war, and in Russia itself there are explosions, fuel shortages, and Russian society is already questioning the Kremlin regime, asking why this is happening and where the promised victory is," Kaunas noted.
In his opinion, this forces the Kremlin to seek new ways to demonstrate success. Therefore, Russia needs a new escalation.
"And the Baltic region, Poland, are the closest targets in this case," Kaunas said.
The minister emphasized that Lithuanian special services and military personnel analyze intelligence data daily and coordinate their actions with NATO partners to respond in a timely manner to possible hybrid threats.
According to Kaunas, Russia is increasingly using aggressive rhetoric and making baseless accusations against the Baltic states. At the same time, he stressed that Lithuania is not taking any steps that could serve as a pretext for such statements.
"We are a sovereign country, we are part of NATO, part of the European Union, and we choose to strengthen our defense, strengthen the army, enhance integration into Western civilized states, and this should in no way provoke Russia," the minister said.
Kaunas also spoke about plans to increase the number of conscripts. In 2026, Lithuania plans to recruit about 5,000 people for mandatory initial military service, but, according to him, the country's capabilities allow for an increase in this figure.
The minister clarified that this year, an additional 530 citizens could potentially be conscripted into the military. At the same time, the final decision will depend on the army's readiness to provide new recruits with the necessary infrastructure, equipment, and instructors.
According to Kaunas, the issue of further expansion of conscription will be discussed jointly with the command of the Lithuanian Armed Forces after an assessment of available resources.
The head of the Ministry of Defense also confirmed that Lithuania constantly coordinates its steps and possible response scenarios with NATO allies. At the same time, he refused to disclose details of joint plans, emphasizing that Alliance security issues are resolved in close coordination among member states.