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‘Red lines’ must be crossed to give Ukraine fighter jets and missiles – Lithuanian president

31 January 2023 14:03 (UTC +04:00)

NATO countries should stop drawing red lines and supply Ukraine with any weapons it needs, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda insists, APA reports citing LRT.

“I have seen many red lines that have been drawn, and sometimes I even have the impression that these red lines are not drawn by us, the Western countries, the democracies, but that it is the terrorist state of Russia that is trying to draw them through fear and threats. And it is trying to impose them,” he told LRT TV on Monday evening.

Nausėda noted that a number of “red lines” have already been crossed when it comes to Ukraine.

“I am speaking not only about tanks. Ukraine’s EU candidate status was once a taboo, a red line, too. I remember it well. Even when, say, the war broke out, Germany initially said categorically that it would only send vests, helmets and the like, but not weapons. But that red line was also passed quite a long time ago,” the president said.

“This Rubicon has been crossed, so I do hope that this red line – if it really exists, and I think it exists only in our heads – will also be crossed,” he said, referring to Kyiv’s plea for fighter jets and long-range missiles.

“Because fighter jets and long-range missiles are essential military aid, and at this crucial stage in the war, where the turning point is about to happen, it is vital that we act without delay,” Nausėda said.

“So my answer to your question is that those red lines must be crossed,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine needs more heavy weapons from NATO allies, including fighter jets and long-range missiles, to counter Russia’s invasion.