Policy Voices | Former president of Lithuania: “Putin will not ask for permission”

In this episode of Policy Voices, Dalia Grybauskaitė, the former president of Lithuania, issued a stark warning about the risk Russia poses to European security. In calling for a serious effort to strengthen Europe’s defence, Grybauskaitė warned, “Putin will not ask for permission but he will involve us in direct conflict”. Grybauskaitė, a former European Commissioner, says that preparedness must come both at the national and EU level.

Host Catarina Vila Nova asked Grybauskaitė, who was once tipped to be the next NATO secretary-general, if the time has come to put NATO boots on the ground in Ukraine and who should be the next leader of the alliance. At a time when the United States is already “paralysed”, even with a Democrat in the White House, Grybauskaitė, says that the people who matter most are the leaders of each member state.

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