Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys says his recent comments about NATO’s ability to neutralise military capabilities in Russia’s Kaliningrad region were intended to counter what he described as Moscow’s exaggerated narrative about the exclave’s strength.
“First of all, my remarks were not intended for Russia, and I was not speaking to any propaganda outlet,” Budrys said on Tuesday.
He said his comments were directed mainly at audiences less familiar with military matters.
“When we convince people that our deterrence is effective and can remain effective – and deterrence means peace and long-term peace – then everything else will also begin to normalise,” he said.
In an interview last week with the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Budrys said NATO had the capability to destroy Russian air defence systems stationed in the Kaliningrad region.
