Landsbergis: Ukraine needs its own long-range deterrence to stay secure

Ukraine’s strongest security guarantee is the development of its own long-range capabilities, including drones, military equipment and ballistic missiles, which would help deter Russia from launching further aggression.

Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis expressed this view in an interview with Ukrinform.

He noted that Ukraine has significantly increased its drone production during the years of the full-scale war, from several thousand to nearly 10 million annually. In the politician’s view, further scaling up these capabilities, combined with the development of missile systems, could fundamentally shift the balance of power.

Landsbergis stressed that building a comprehensive deterrence system requires not only weapons themselves but also the necessary infrastructure, including guidance systems and satellite capabilities.

“Add ballistic missiles to that. Good guidance systems, satellites and the like are also needed – to reach the point where, with or without allies, Ukraine can tell Putin: ‘Look, even if you try again next time, you will have no industry left,’” the politician said.

He believes Ukraine is uniquely positioned to establish such a system and that Western countries can help it achieve this.

“There is no other country that could do this – only Ukraine. And we, the West, are capable of helping Ukraine achieve it,” Landsbergis said.

At the same time, he believes Ukraine’s experience could also be used to strengthen the defenses of other countries potentially threatened by Russia.

Lithuania and other neighboring countries of Russia, in particular, could develop their own long-range deterrence systems adapted to their capabilities. According to the politician, this would allow countries in the region to rely not only on assistance from their allies but also on their own capabilities.

“That is what deterrence is – sovereign power,” Landsbergis emphasized.

As reported by Ukrinform, on September 18, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced during his visit to Ukraine that Poland had joined the Antiballistic Coalition.