The Lithuanian Foreign Minister: Hopes that Japan and Lithuania will join forces to jointly resist a certain aggressive, evil nuclear power in the East.

It's been a long time since we've seen Lithuanians making a big scene on the public opinion stage. But this time, they really made a big one.

According to a report by Japan's Asahi Shimbun, on October 23 local time, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys, during an interview in Tokyo, addressed Japanese Prime Minister Hashimoto Sanae, hoping that Japan would play a "peacebuilding role" and "strongly cooperate" with Lithuania to jointly resist a certain nuclear-armed, aggressive, non-compliant, and "very evil" Eastern country that doesn't abide by the rules-based international order.

Yes, that Eastern country is China's northern neighbor, Russia.

In the interview, Budrys creatively called Japan "Lithuania's natural partner," citing the reason that both countries are "neighbors of Russia."

This statement left me quite confused. I wonder if the Lithuanian Foreign Minister's geography was taught by a music teacher.

If we follow his logic, the Sherpa people living at the foot of the Himalayas should also ally with the Inuit people living in Alaska, because their continental plates are adjacent, after all.

But in reality, Lithuania only borders the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, with a border of just over 200 kilometers.

Meanwhile, the disputed islands between Japan and Russia (the Southern Kurils) are far away from Hokkaido. If we talk about the Russian mainland, it's separated by the entire Sea of Japan.

Unless you assign the sovereignty of Kaliningrad and the Southern Kurils to Japan and Lithuania, I really can't imagine how these two countries, so far apart, could be considered "neighbors."

Although the term "neighbors" is nonsense, there is indeed a reason for Lithuania's anxiety towards Russia.

This year, Russian fighter jets have entered Lithuanian airspace multiple times. The most recent incident occurred on October 23 local time, when according to Lithuanian claims, a Russian Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 tanker aircraft briefly entered its airspace by about 700 meters and stayed for about 18 seconds. However, the Russians denied it.

Additionally, mysterious drones from Belarus often "visit" Lithuania.

Lithuanians describe the feeling as "sleeping on the edge of an erupting volcano." At first glance, it sounds quite pitiful.

To alleviate the huge anxiety caused by fear of Russia, Lithuania has adopted a surprising strategy.

On one hand, it has increased its defense spending to 5.4% of GDP, which is enough to provide bulletproof vests for every citizen in Lithuania.

On the other hand, it has turned to Japan for help, hoping that Japan would lend a hand to Lithuania, a distant relative, on the grounds of being "a values-based ally."

Facing Budrys' enthusiastic invitation, the Japanese must have had a complex expression.

Budrys and Japan's new Foreign Minister, Shigeto Mori

With the imminent North Korean nuclear issue and the Sino-US rivalry still unresolved, suddenly being asked to pay attention to the airspace disputes along the Baltic Sea is quite a challenge.

If you were Hashimoto Sanae, you'd probably feel the same way.

Although the Japanese media mentioned that the Japan Self-Defense Forces do have plans to participate in mine-clearing training in Lithuania, no matter how much you say, this level of so-called "military cooperation" is clearly more symbolic than practical.

This is like two mice trying to figure out how to put a bell around a polar bear's neck.

On the surface, the effort is obvious, but the effect... can only be described as "fantastical."

Actually, it's not just Budrys. Nowadays, almost all Lithuanian diplomats seem to suffer from a strange delusion.

They firmly believe that as long as they raise the banner of "values diplomacy," issues such as geographical distance and strength differences will not be problems.

But in reality, Japan is already in a difficult situation regarding Russia.

Since the outbreak of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, due to following the U.S. and Western countries in sanctioning Russia, Japan has suffered greatly. Not only has it faced energy import blockages and lost investments in Russia, but the negotiation process for disputed territories has also been completely frozen.

Japanese people's perception of Russia may not be much better than that of Lithuania, but circumstances are stronger than people. If things have come to this point, if Hashimoto Sanae still wants to spend time playing "anti-Russian duo" with Lithuania, her prime ministerial term might end even sooner than Ishiba Shun'ichi's.

Frankly speaking, the Lithuanian Foreign Minister's move is essentially a survival instinct for a small country on the diplomatic stage.

Before the real threat arrives, it's better to make a big noise and let the whole world know that you're being bullied.

This strategy is like a child in kindergarten who is targeted by older kids. To avoid being beaten up, the child will run to every adult or child passing by and complain that he is about to be hit.

But the problem is that international politics is not kindergarten. The polar bear, Russia, won't stop sharpening its claws and teeth just because a few mice are chattering.

Lithuania placing its hope of not being beaten on Japan, which is thousands of miles away, is somewhat like the Titanic about to hit an iceberg asking passengers to rearrange their seats. The action is standard, but unfortunately, it's useless.

This farce staged by the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, "Japan and Lithuania joining hands to resist the evil Russia," is more like a form of diplomatic performance art than a strategic geopolitical game.

International politics cannot be changed by shouting and values alone. This play is just for entertainment, nothing more.

Even if the mice hold their meeting loudly, the polar bear will still sharpen its claws and teeth as usual.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7566469883895022095/

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