Baltic Presidents: The Earlier Ukraine Joins NATO, the Safer Europe Will Be

Baltic presidents and regional leaders discussed the war in Ukraine and the West's response at an international conference at Vilnius University (VU) ahead of the NATO summit. Opening the conference, the Rector of Vilnius University, Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas, emphasised that Russia's unprovoked and brutal aggression in Ukraine has refocused the world's attention on the region, raising questions about the integrity of Europe's borders and, more importantly, its values. The war in Ukraine forces us to reassess our readiness to defend these cultural and geographical borders.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Gabrielius Landsbergis, called for the determined and courageous pursuit of our defence objectives because nothing is impossible. The German brigade on Lithuanian soil, which seemed like a dream a week ago, is proof of this.

We Need to Defend, Not Plan

According to former Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė, the West still lives in a different time dimension and civilisation than Russia; too little has been done for security, and we are still not doing enough.

"We criticised the annexation of Crimea openly. We were laughed at. Now Western leaders acknowledge they were wrong. But even now, when we speak about the future, we are only listened to but not heard. This is why we are, so to speak, not doing all we can do and not fully supporting Ukraine," the President of Lithuania said.

Eight years ago, Grybauskaitė called Russia a terrorist state. Today, other Western leaders admit that she was right then, but she is convinced that they still do not fully understand what will happen in the future, that they are making defence plans but need to defend themselves now.

"We don't have time to prepare to defend ourselves against Russia. We must defend ourselves now because Russia will only become more aggressive. It is naive to believe that democracy can replace this imperialist state. It does not work that way. There is no need to be delusional. We have no time to prepare to defend ourselves against Russia. We have to fight for our security now," Grybauskaitė stressed.

Latvia's current president, Egilis Levitas, says Russia is guided by the 19th-century ideology of the "Russian world", which is no longer appropriate for the modern world. The Baltic countries have a better grasp of the reality of the situation, but in recent years the West has also become more aware of the reality, he said.

"Russia has been an aggressive country for a long time and has been a threat to all countries in the world. That is why we all need to be strong. We, the Western world, must be prepared for Russia to be aggressive for many years to come. First of all, we need to invest in our military forces and have a strong political will to use these weapons for defence," said the Latvian leader.

When Will Ukraine Become a NATO Member?

Grybauskaitė highlighted that the West is already experiencing a hybrid war and that we are still too poorly prepared to defend ourselves against isolated Russian attacks. We need more than just speeches and promises. We now need to invest more in defence.

"Preparations for the NATO summit are insufficient. There is too much politically correct talk, but words are no longer enough. Ukraine's security is our security. Ukraine is a buffer for us. We need Ukranians because they are the strongest, most reliable, best-equipped army that would ensure the security of the whole of NATO by becoming a NATO member.

We need to help Ukraine for the sake of our own security. The sooner Ukraine becomes a NATO member, the safer it will be," Grybauskaitė said, adding that she did not see the political will to invite Ukraine to join NATO, at least at the time of the Vilnius meeting.

Silent on What a Ukrainian Defeat Would Mean

Toomas Hendrik Ilves, former President of the Republic of Estonia, shared his experience of constantly fighting over the Baltic defence plans in NATO meetings when he was President. Even then, he was criticised as a Russophobe or a fear-monger.

"The world is afraid of humiliating Putin. They are more afraid of a weak Russia than a strong one. Why do we talk about and fear the possible consequences of a Russian defeat but remain silent about what a Ukrainian defeat would mean?" the Estonian President asked rhetorically.

Asked whether Ukraine would ever succeed in becoming a NATO member, Estonian President Ilves said that Ukraine's membership in NATO causes fear among Europeans.

"Finland and Sweden were invited to join NATO without any plan or conditions. Will Ukraine also be admitted to NATO? I think it is just talk. I am pessimistic because countries that have had and have experience with Russia are called Russophobic. We will see what happens at the NATO summit", says T. H. Ilves.

The International Conference ‘European Response. War in Ukraine and New Challenges’ is being live-streamed and can be watched online.