Europe on the verge of World War III - former Lithuanian Foreign Minister

Vladimir Putin's hybrid aggression and NATO inaction are pushing Europe closer and closer to a full-scale conflict, former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told The Telegraph.

NATO continues to delay decisive action in response to Russian provocations, giving Putin an opportunity to test the alliance's "red lines" for strength, he said.

We are allowing more and more escalation without providing adequate responses. If this continues, Europe will face the day of Pearl Harbor, when the West's awakening will come too late," Landsbergis emphasised.

The former minister warned that further provocations could lead to the application of Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which would actually be a declaration of war against Russia. He recalled that back in 2022 he demanded from the alliance a clear response to Moscow's actions, but the situation remained two-digit.

There is a clear escalation, and we still do nothing," he pointed out.

Landsbergis added that Russian tactics with drones are aimed at revealing the limits of the alliance's tolerance.

Putin realises that 20 drones in Poland fall under Article 4 and 12 minutes in Estonian airspace is not yet Article 5. He will push this line further," the diplomat said.

The former minister called on NATO to clearly define "red lines" and apply deterrence measures, such as handing Taurus or Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine to destroy drone launch sites. He characterised the alliance's current passivity as a "constantly recurring geopolitical Groundhog Day".

Instead of asking whether we risk starting World War III, we ask whether we risk stopping it," he said.