VILNIUS, Lithuania — The military and political games Vladimir Putin is playing with all of Europe will continue, whether Moscow invades Ukraine or not. Nowhere in Europe do leaders and citizens understand this hard truth better than in the vibrant capital of the tiny Baltic state of Lithuania.
In this country of less than 3 million, Lithuanians fought Soviet troops to keep their independent state after breaking out from the Soviet Union and declaring independence in 1990. They believe that without their NATO membership, gained in 2004, Putin might be eyeing them as a potential next meal — after devouring nearby Belarus and Ukraine.
So I came to Vilnius, the capital city of around 600,000 people, which features a spectacular historic old town and an active tech scene and arts community, to view the Ukraine crisis through the eyes of those who see Putin's threats without illusions. We should listen to what the Lithuanians say.
