VILNIUS, January 20. /TASS/. Europe will inevitably have to engage in talks with Russia’s leadership on a settlement in Ukraine, but this requires a plan focused on strengthening Ukraine’s army, EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius said on the Essence of the Matter program of Lithuania’s Delfi portal.
"Europe needs its own strategic plan for achieving peace in Ukraine. So far, we have lacked such a plan of our own. Once we have it, we can initiate dialogue with [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin, which is inevitable, since peace can only be achieved with the participation of both parties," he said.
According to the commissioner, dialogue with Russia makes no sense without a strategic plan. "Simply starting a dialogue leads nowhere. A political line must be built," Kubilius argued.
He sees the strengthening of the Ukrainian army as the cornerstone of a European plan. "It must be substantial. Europe’s military assistance to Ukraine should increase not by 10% but many times over," the Lithuanian politician emphasized.