Speaking to public broadcaster LRT on Monday, Kaunas said the war in Ukraine "is not unfolding as Russia planned," pointing to explosions and fuel shortages inside the country and growing questions from Russian society about Moscow's promised victory.
"The Kremlin, [President Vladimir ed.] Putin, needs a new escalation, some kind of new win, and the Baltic region and Poland are the nearest target in this case," he added.
His comments follow confirmation by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda of earlier foreign media reports suggesting Russia is planning provocations in Poland or the Baltic states to test NATO's unity.
Nausėda said the information is based on intelligence about possible Russian attacks – using conventional or unconventional means – on key regional infrastructure.
Poland's Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has previously suggested Russia could stage a false-flag operation using Ukrainian drones.
Kaunas said Lithuania has strengthened protection of its transport and energy infrastructure in response, with intelligence services continuously monitoring the situation and coordinating with allies.
He stressed that boosting Lithuania's defences and deepening ties with NATO and the EU is not a provocation against Russia.
(ał)
Source: PAP