Russia Aims to Restore the Soviet Union, Says Lithuanian Colonel

Colonel Linas Idzelis, the commander of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union, shared his insights in an interview with Ukrinform, where he voiced significant concerns regarding Russia's ambitions to restore the Soviet Union. He stated, 'They want to first destroy Ukraine and then continue further to restore the Soviet Union. It all started with Belarus, and now they are trying to digest Ukraine. They cannot restore the Soviet Union without Ukraine.'

Idzelis highlighted that Europe has the opportunity to better prepare for a military conflict with Russia, especially during a period when the country appears weakened. 'But this preparation must be real,' he added. The colonel also pointed out that military budgets in European countries should not be reduced, as many decisions depend on the choices made by politicians.

According to the Lithuanian military leader, while Russia's military aggression against Ukraine continues, there is no conventional military threat to Europe, as Russia lacks the capability to conduct combat operations on multiple fronts simultaneously. 'This gives us some time to prepare,' he noted.

Colonel Idzelis expressed confidence that Lithuania is not at risk of a so-called 'Donbas scenario' where military actions could be initiated by Russia. He believes that 'Russian sympathizers do not live in any specific area,' which reduces the likelihood of such situations arising.

He drew attention to the fact that as part of Russia's malicious operations aimed at preparing for military aggression, the Kremlin is actively working to alter the consciousness of the population. The availability of Russian content on various platforms poses a serious threat. 'After the collapse of the USSR, we all knew the Russian language, watched Russian films, and many of our military personnel listened to Russian music, such as 'Lyube'. Then we realized that this was not acceptable, but for many, it was already too late,' the colonel remarked.

Idzelis also noted that not everyone in Lithuania speaks English, and Russian content remains easily accessible through YouTube and other platforms, despite the ban on Russian television channels. 'So a small portion of Lithuanians, he said, have become so 'poisoned' by Russian content that there are no 'antibiotics' that could help them,' he added.

Interestingly, despite the presence of a Russian ethnic minority in Lithuania, the most pronounced 'vatniks'—a term used to describe pro-Russian individuals—are found among Lithuanians who have been overly brainwashed, emphasized the commander of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union.

It is worth recalling that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in June 2025 that Vladimir Putin seeks to restore the power of the USSR and therefore does not want to end the war in Ukraine.

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