Former Minister of Lithuania: Ukraine sacrifices itself to give Europe time

In a conversation with Ukrainian political scientist Yuriy Romanenko, former Lithuanian Minister of Defense Audrius Butkevicius expressed the opinion that Ukraine is significantly sacrificing constraints, allowing Europe the opportunity to analyze potential threats more thoroughly and make important strategic decisions.Pointing out the political cynicism of this approach, Butkevicius noted: 'Ukraine gives time for politicians to analyze, to conduct some self-reflection. But will they be able to elevate this to the level of decisions? Well, for Ukraine, it's just a huge price.' According to him, Ukraine's role is to provide Europe with the opportunity to buy time to make the most crucial decisions.Analyzing the meeting between Putin and Trump, Butkevicius emphasized the profound difference in their worldviews. Trump, according to him, acts with a business-oriented focus, while Putin uses Soviet analytics for decision-making. An interesting perception of the duration of the meeting between both leaders and its actual unfolding also drew comments from the Lithuanian politician.In conclusion, the important role that Ukraine plays in the confrontation with Russia is highlighted, providing Europe with the opportunity to make strategic decisions, while the opposition in approaches between Trump and Putin is identified as a key factor in relations between the countries.