Subscribe here: [ Ссылка ] A wave of anxiety has gripped European defence ministers and armed forces as politicians and military leaders believe that Nato-sceptic Donald Trump could be elected as the next president of the US – and that Russia may not be forced out or defeated in Ukraine. This febrile mood has prompted growing warnings that Europe could find itself involved in a war in Russia, even though at present Russia is embroiled in Ukraine.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Monday that the move to create a common defence line on the Baltic states’ borders with Russia and Belarus was a preparation for a possible war.

“This is also a political message – a message from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia that we feel a war coming to us. We understand that Russia will not be stopped in Ukraine, it will go further. And then the Baltic countries will be next,” he told reporters in Brussels ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting.

“It is a preparation for what could happen. And we hope that this will send a sufficient message to our friends and partners in Europe and NATO, that this needs to be taken seriously," he added.

Landsbergis stressed that all countries in the region agree that the time to prepare against possible aggression is very limited.

He also pointed out that “nobody has a timetable to anticipate Russia’s madness”, but its possible new aggression depends on Ukraine’s success.

“First and foremost, it’s Ukraine’s success and Ukraine’s victory. If they succeed, they buy us time. Ukraine is buying us time with its blood, with its lives, with everything it has. But we don’t know how much more time they can win for us,” Landsbergis said.

European Union foreign ministers have reached a political agreement to finalize the work on transferring revenues from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine based on the proposal suggested in December, EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Jan. 22.

"I'm almost sure this will be finalized soon… Discussions will continue on the level of ambassadors, but I see that the agreement is coming," Borrell told reporters following a meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

He added that the EU aims to officially make the decision before the next meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, scheduled for Feb. 19.

The EU proposed a plan on Dec. 12 to seize about 15 billion euros ($16.2 billion) in projected profits generated by frozen assets of Russia's Central Bank and transfer them to Ukraine.

The plan would reportedly require banks holding the assets to place profits in a separate bank account, which would then be transferred to the EU's budget on an annual basis in order to provide funding for Ukraine. The proposal must be approved by the European Parliament, and all 27 EU member states before it can be implemented.

Western countries have frozen over $300 billion in the Russian central bank's sovereign assets since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Around two-thirds of the assets are held in European accounts, while only up to $5 billion are frozen at U.S. institutions.

Speaking at the Jan. 22 press conference, Borrell also promised that the EU would continue to provide Kyiv with "predictable assistance" and said he would travel to Ukraine in the first or second week of February.

Borrell also confirmed that the EU was seeking to reform the European Peace Facility, the current tool used for channeling military support to Ukraine, and create the Ukraine Assistance Fund with an annual budget of about five billion euros.

Baltic states on Friday signed an agreement to create a common defence line on their borders with Russia and Belarus, Lithuania’s Defence Ministry said.

“With this initiative, we aim to create an effective set of counter-mobility measures in all three Baltic countries, which are among the most vulnerable to the Russian threat, to effectively disrupt and stop a potential enemy push across the border,” Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas was quoted as saying in the ministry’s statement.

“This project is of particular importance in the trilateral context of the Baltic states in creating a common counter-mobility barrier. The signing of the agreement will lead to a coordinated implementation of this idea in practice,” he said.

The defence ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia also signed an agreement on the co-development of the HIMARS high mobility rocket artillery systems.

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