According to the publication, Lithuania is considered one of the most vulnerable countries if Russia were to attack due to the Suwalki Corridor – a sparsely populated strip of land on the border between Lithuania and Poland, separating Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and its ally, Belarus.
Bruno Kahl, Head of German foreign intelligence, warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use 'little green men' to attack vulnerable Baltic countries such as Estonia, repeating the tactics he used in 2014 when he seized Crimea from Ukraine.
'We are certain, and intelligence data confirm this, that Ukraine is only a stopover on the way to the West,' Kahl said in an interview with the news organisation Table Media published this week, adding: 'There are people in Moscow who no longer believe that NATO's Article 5 works. And they would like to test it.'
US President Donald Trump has rejected the possibility of allowing Ukraine to become a NATO member, wants a peace agreement in the war and is shifting US policy towards Moscow. He is supported by NATO members Hungary and Slovakia, which are friendly to the Kremlin. At the same time, the newly elected Polish President, Andrzej Duda, has also said he would not support Ukraine's membership in the Alliance.
However, Šakalienė insisted that the final decision on membership rests with the Alliance, not Putin. 'If someone other than the Alliance decides who can join the Alliance, then the credibility of the Alliance is seriously undermined,' the Lithuanian minister told Politico.
Trump's caution towards Ukraine was evident in internal NATO discussions on inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to this month's NATO leaders' meeting in The Hague. This was never an issue under the previous US administration of Joe Biden, which was happy to invite Zelensky to key meetings despite showing little enthusiasm for Ukraine's NATO membership.
Lithuania demanded that Zelensky be invited. Šakalienė said she disagreed with the idea that he might not be in The Hague.
Kyiv announced on Tuesday that Zelensky had been invited to the meeting in The Hague. 'For us, as a state, the content of this meeting is important, and it is important to us that the results of this summit send a signal of strength and unity, including about Ukraine,' said Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi.
Trump is not a big fan of Zelensky, as was evident during their stormy meeting at the White House in February. However, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte wants to reduce tensions with Trump and focus the summit on an agreement on a new NATO defence spending target, increasing it from the current 2% to 5% of gross domestic product.
Šakalienė said that this target should be achieved by 2030, two years earlier than Rutte's proposed date of 2032. Other frontline countries share a similar mindset, wanting to increase Alliance spending to deter Russia rapidly.
'This would be a victory for all of us,' said Šakalienė. She warned that part of the increase in NATO defence spending must be directed towards arming Ukraine. 'The restoration of the Ukrainian army is based not on declarations but on real capabilities,' said the minister.
Lithuania also wants NATO countries to achieve the Alliance's newly approved capability goals quickly. The allies' goals regarding the military equipment they need to operate are kept secret. Šakalienė emphasised that NATO's North-Eastern flank feels the need for this to happen sooner.
Despite growing concerns about the United States' commitment to NATO under Trump, Šakalienė asserted that 'the message from the United States is very consistent – critical support for Europe will be provided, no matter what.'
However, the minister stated that NATO is expected to establish a formal review process to keep allies informed of any potential withdrawal of US troops from Europe, which will commence immediately after the meeting in The Hague.
Šakalienė also warned that Russia's war in Ukraine is part of broader destabilisation efforts. 'The new axis of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran is cooperating very effectively to implement its plan to destroy the current world order,' she said, calling for this threat to be reflected in the expected one-page declaration by NATO leaders after the meeting in The Hague.
'The United States and its allies and partners may have to deter and, if necessary, defeat Russia and China simultaneously,' said Šakalienė.