Fmr. Lithuanian President: Putin’s Mind is “Deteriorating”

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: What do you make the way he’s behaving,and particularly having put the deterrent forces on high alert yesterday?

DALIA GRYBAUSKAITE, FORMER LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT: I think his mind, mental situation is deteriorating. And during these 12 years, what I was capable to watch him from my position, the deterioration and madness really is increasing. And it is clear that he lives in some kind of paranoid bubble, and not only him alone, but the Kremlin lives in paranoid bumble. And this is dangerous for all of us, not only in Europe, but around the world. And these five years was — five days for us all was a waking call. And we are learning fast. But, as I said, it’s not enough, and still the sanctions with loopholes. We still need to do a lot more, and we need to be ready to fight him, to fight him on the ground, because sanctions will not stop the war criminal. Sanctions will only harm them. But only on the battlefield, we can stop the war criminals.

AMANPOUR: So, as you know, the — NATO have all said that one square centimeter of NATO territory, if one Russian soldier steps across, they will, the 30 of those NATO countries, do what they have to do to stop it. Are you confident in that?

GRYBAUSKAITE: You know, today, it is not so much important what will happen tomorrow. Today, we need to help Ukraine to battle and to survive, because, after Ukraine, it will be very difficult to fight the battle on our own soil, and it will be too late for Europe probably. What is important today is to help Ukraine in everything, not only weaponry, but, if it will be necessary, if we will see what starting to already — starting to be seen, that he will go for bloodshed, we will need to think about boots on the ground or boots in the air.