According to a report by Lithuanian National Radio and Television on May 8, Lithuanian Prime Minister Shimonit said that it had received parliamentary approval to send troops to Ukraine.
Earlier, Russian military expert Igor had said that if NATO sends troops to Ukraine, it may face a tactical nuclear strike from the Russian side, and Putin has ordered the preparation of tactical nuclear weapons exercises.
So, does Lithuania really dare to send troops?
1. Lithuania approved the dispatch of troops to Ukraine
On April 29, Macron said in an interview that "the possibility of France sending troops to Ukraine cannot be ruled out" and that his strategic goal is "to make it impossible for Russia to defeat Ukraine" is clear.
He said their capabilities are trustworthy and they will continue to help Ukraine.
"If Russia wins in Ukraine, we will no longer be safe in Europe. Who can say that Russia will stop there? ”
Macron stressed that if the Russian army breaks through the front line and the Ukrainian side makes a request, France has reasonable reasons to ask about sending troops.
This "troop dispatch theory" was proposed by Macron in February this year, which attracted widespread attention from international public opinion, and the United States immediately said that it would not send troops to Ukraine.
After Macron's reiteration, many countries in the Western camp, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, etc., have come forward to "dissociate themselves" from each other, saying that they are not involved in Macron's plan.
But behind the "big countries" for fear of provoking the fire, the "small country" Lithuania stood up firmly and walked to Macron's side.
Lithuanian National Radio and Television reported on the 8th that Lithuanian Prime Minister Shimonit declared that the proposal to send troops to Ukraine had been approved by the parliament.
The British "Guardian" reported on the 9th that Lithuanian Foreign Minister Landsbergis proposed that Western countries could set up an alliance to send military personnel into Ukraine, not only to provide training support for Ukraine, but also to provide "air defense protection" for Ukraine.
Landsbergis has been called "one of the most outspoken supporters of Ukraine" by the US media, and his attitude also reflects the hard line of support for Macron in parts of Europe.
Landsbergis also said: "I hope that those big countries will take the lead in air defense and other aspects, after all, the Czech Republic, as a small country, has put forward the initiative of large-scale procurement of ammunition for Ukraine." ”
The Russian side did not show obvious concern about Lithuania's "provocation", and the Russian scholar Mezhevich commented on it: "Maybe who will train whom when the time comes." ”
He said that Lithuania's military strength is clearly weak, and it does not have the opportunity to go to the battlefield in person, but actively participates in the war.
As Mezhevich said, although Lithuania has been active, so far, the Ukrainian side has not made a request to send troops to it, and one of the reasons is probably that even if Lithuania sends troops, it will not solve Ukraine's predicament.
In addition to this layer of factors, it is also necessary to consider whether NATO wants to completely tear its skin with Russia.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on the 6th that Putin has ordered preparations to hold exercises using "non-strategic nuclear weapons" (that is, tactical nuclear weapons), in which missile forces, naval forces, and aviation units will participate.
The Russian side explained that the move was to "cool down the 'hot minds' of Western countries" and was a response to the unscrupulous and aggressive policy of the Western camp.
"Russia will use all means to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and any unilateral escalation game will not work for the West."
"If NATO forces dare to set foot on the territory of Ukraine and engage the Russian army, they will be subjected to a nuclear strike," Russian military expert Korotchenko stressed. ”
2. Russia and the "Three Baltic States"
The "three Baltic states" – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – were former members of the Soviet Union and neighbors of Russia.
All three countries have historically been occupied and ruled by Russia (Russian Empire, Tsarist Russia), and with such a "shadow", coupled with the "brainwashing" of Western capitalism, the relationship with Russia is not very friendly today.
Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the three countries have stood on the Ukrainian side even more clearly, strongly condemning Russia's violation of the sovereignty of other countries while actively providing military support to Ukraine.
According to a report by RIA Novosti on the 5th, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova said: Due to the "open hostile line" of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, "all inter-state, inter-departmental, regional and industrial relations between the three countries and Russia have been severed."
The Russian side warned: "This will be followed by asymmetric measures in the economic and transit spheres." ”
Prior to this, relations between the three countries and Russia had reached a very stiff point, not only vigorously purging the Russian language from the country, but also expelling Russian citizens on the grounds of "threatening national security".
Not to be outdone, the Russian side first downgraded its diplomatic relations with Estonia, ordered the Estonian ambassador to Russia to leave Russia, and then expelled two Latvian diplomats.
In February this year, the Russian side also announced that Estonian Prime Minister Kallas, Lithuanian Culture Minister Kyris and others were on the wanted list.
Resources:
The Lithuanian parliament approved the sending of troops to Ukraine, and Russian scholars sarcastically: It is not clear who trains whom?
Russia responded to the possibility of severing diplomatic relations with its three neighboring countries
Macron talks about the "theory of sending troops to Ukraine" again: the possibility is not ruled out, and the purpose is to make it impossible for Russia to win
The preparation of tactical nuclear weapons exercises by the Russian army is concerned, and Russian military experts: send a clear signal to Western countries