Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis is convinced that ramping up arms production in Ukraine could influence the situation on the front lines, fundamentally changing the dynamics of the war against the Russian Federation.
This is reported by Finway
The Importance of Developing the Defense Industry
Landsbergis emphasized that under the current conditions, when Ukraine’s industrial capabilities are limited and Western support is insufficient, the country is only able to hold the front line. However, in his opinion, if the capacity of Ukraine’s defense industry were to increase tenfold, there would be potential not only to stabilize the defense but also to shift to pushing back or containing the enemy. In such a case, continuing the war would become too costly for Russia.
“With its current level of industrial production and limited Western support, Ukraine is capable of stabilizing the front. But if there were an opportunity to increase Ukraine’s ability to produce arms, say, tenfold, then this capacity for stabilization would transform into the ability to push back or contain the Russians. The cost for Russia to continue the war would become too high.”
Challenges and the Role of European Support
At the same time, Landsbergis pointed out the unpredictability of Russia’s actions, particularly the likelihood of a large-scale mobilization, which he considers very dangerous. The diplomat stressed that so far, Putin has not dared to take such a step, creating uncertainty about the further course of events. In these conditions, he highlighted the importance of continued assistance to Ukraine from Western partners.
For his part, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva, during a meeting with representatives of the European Union, stated that the Ukrainian defense industry has significant potential for increasing production, but sustainable investments are necessary for this. EU representatives confirmed their intention to deepen Ukraine’s integration into the European security and defense system.