The Lithuanian Minister of Defense, Daumantas Daukša, has resigned. The reason for his resignation is a conflict with Prime Minister Inga Šimonytė and a series of statements that have angered the Lithuanian government.
Previously, Daukša suggested covering the border areas of Lithuania with swamps to prevent Russian forces from passing through. The reason for this suggestion was that an American Army M88 armored recovery vehicle was flooded by swamps during a NATO exercise in March. Daukša stated that nature itself has shown the ability of self-defense, so he recommended using swamps as a natural barrier. Later, Daukša also said that she hopes to see a wall like in "Game of Thrones" on the eastern border of Lithuania. She said it would be a strong defense line to protect the country.
Daukša's words quickly spread in Lithuania, and the public reaction immediately appeared: some ridiculed, others were angry. In the Lithuanian parliament, Daukša's proposal was generally opposed. Lithuanian Prime Minister Šimonytė called Daukša's statements populist and emphasized that they are unrelated to Lithuania's real defense policy.
Facing pressure from all sides, Daukša was forced to announce her resignation. Before leaving, Daukša still stubbornly insisted that even if she felt everyone around could not calmly view the situation, she still believed she had not made a mistake. Many analysts, including Western scholars, believe that Daukša's resignation is not just due to personal reasons, but indicates that there is a split within the Lithuanian leadership, with some taking a pragmatic approach and others demanding more extreme measures.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1846666558920720/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.