Commissioner Kubilius: Successful Ukraine is Putin's biggest threat

European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius wrote this in an op-ed published on his website, Ukrinform reports.

Kubilius questioned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's recent statement that Moscow would not accept collective security guarantees for Ukraine agreed upon without Russia's participation.

"What Lavrov wanted to say? That Russia wants to give security guarantees to Ukraine? Or that Kremlin is afraid of security guarantees to Ukraine, which can be provided by Western community? Kubilius wrote.

He stressed that the only reason why Ukraine needs security guarantees is aggressive Russia.

"If Russia wants to give security guarantees to Ukraine, it simply needs to stop the war and to promise not to wage a new one. There is no need for Russia to negotiate with anybody about Russia's security guarantees to Ukraine. Russia can simply abandon its aggressive policies," he added.

However, Kubilius believes this is unrealistic under the current Russian leadership.

"That is why we need to ask: why Kremlin is afraid of Western security guarantees to Ukraine? Because it will make more difficult for Putin/Lavrov to plan a new aggression against Ukraine," he said.

According to the commissioner, Putin understands that his regime can become insecure, if Ukraine is becoming secure and able to develop its economic and social success through European integration.

"Because success of Ukraine with its inspirational power to ordinary Russians is the biggest threat to survival of Putin regime. That is the logic of Kremlin analysis of biggest threats," Kubilius wrote.

He stressed that the Coalition of the Willing should not care whether Moscow agrees to Western-proposed security guarantees for Ukraine.

"The Western leaders recently, in Washington, were able to show unprecedented unity and leadership on the issues of Ukraine. Including on security guarantees. That scares Kremlin regime. That is why Lavrov spoke in such an aggressive way. Because Kremlin starts to understand – they lost. Security guarantees will pave the way for the future success of Ukraine," Kubilius said.

He added that the greatest threats to Russia's future come not from NATO, Ukraine, or its success — but from Putin’s own regime.

"Success of Ukraine can be a real inspiration to Russian people. Inspiration of Russian citizens is what Kremlin is afraid of. Kremlin is really afraid of Russian people, of possibility that they can be inspired to seek freedom. And inspired to wish to live in a normal Russia of the future," Kubilius wrote.

He said that Putin started a "criminal and stupid war" against Ukraine's success — and he is losing it. "Ukraine will be successful. Russia will stay with Kremlin stupidity. Lavrov gave clear evidence of that,"” he concluded.

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