“When Your Ass Is Burning, You Move Faster”—Lithuanian Minister Urges Europe to Step Up Defense

On February 24, during the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė called on European nations to “move faster” in bolstering their security.

This was reported by Kyiv Independent, citing Sakalienė’s statement during a Victor Pinchuk Foundation event.

“When you feel that your own ass is burning, you start to move faster,” Šakalienė said. “So I do hope that we will start to move faster in the next few months.”

“We need to strengthen our transatlantic bond. Even though we are a dysfunctional family, a divorce is not an option,” Sakaliene said as U.S. support for Ukraine grows uncertain.

At the same time, the outlet reported that Lithuania’s former Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis stated at the conference that “Europe has to understand we are in this fight most likely alone, there’s us and Ukrainians and no one else. We pick up this battle or lose.”

“Is Europe actually alive? If it still hasn’t woken up, what’s happening with the patient?” Landsbergis added.

On February 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that ending Russia’s invasion must begin with steps that would help restore trust in the process, “because there is no trust in Russia.” Zelenskyy suggested that a key step could be the release of all Ukrainian prisoners held by Moscow.