Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Advocates for Ukraine’s Free Use of Arms, By Reuters

By Daphne Psaledakis

WASHINGTON – Ukraine should have the freedom to utilize the military aid it has received, according to Lithuania’s foreign minister. In an interview, Gabrielius Landsbergis expressed hopes that Kyiv would be allowed to strike further into Russian territory with the weapons that the United States plans to supply.

Landsbergis emphasized that while providing arms to Ukraine is important, it is not effective if those arms cannot be used effectively. "The strategic goal that puts Ukraine in the strongest possible position requires allowing them to use the weaponry freely," he stated.

Ukraine has been urging the U.S. and other Western nations to enable long-range strikes to counter relentless Russian aerial assaults. However, Russia has cautioned that if Ukraine is permitted to attack deeper into its territory with long-range Western missiles, it would represent a significant escalation and provoke repercussions from Moscow.

On Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden announced over $8 billion in additional military assistance for Ukraine, which Landsbergis described as a substantial commitment. This package includes the first shipment of a precision-guided glide bomb known as the Joint Standoff Weapon, boasting a range of up to 81 miles (130 km)—further than the air-dropped glide bombs currently supplied by the U.S.

Landsbergis noted, "I’m reading President Biden’s statement, and I’m seeing that there is a new type of rockets being delivered that have a longer range than the previous ones. My hope is that they are not restricted to being used only from a distance to the front, but will be allowed to engage further out."

A U.S. official had indicated prior that Biden would not be announcing a change in policy that would permit Ukraine to use U.S. missiles for strikes within Russia.

While Landsbergis has not reviewed the specifics of Kyiv’s "victory plan" regarding the end of the conflict, he mentioned that discussions around security guarantees for Ukraine have emerged. He also remarked on the renewed talks about potentially including Ukraine in NATO’s common defense framework, a move that Lithuania strongly supports.

"It has to happen," Landsbergis said, asserting that if the goal is to ensure Ukraine’s safety without the threat of attack, clear answers must be provided on how to achieve that. "And, honestly, it’s not rocket science."

During a visit to Washington on the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy highlighted the importance of securing Ukraine’s future within NATO, a goal he has persistently pursued, though ally nations have yet to fully endorse that step.