On 26 May, EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius urged the United States to fully commit to strengthening Ukraine, stating that the widely supported “peace through strength” principle—supported by both American and European leaders—requires reinforcing Ukraine.

Ukrinform reports that Kubilius said, speaking to journalists in the Italian parliament:

“For me personally, it is very clear that Putin does not want a ceasefire, he does not want peace. It is likely that the US administration has also begun to understand that Putin wants to continue the war because he feels like a winner in it. The ‘peace through strength’ formula, which has been supported by the US administration and Europeans, requires, first and foremost, the strengthening of Ukraine.”

Kubilius emphasized that if the US truly embraces peace through strength then the first step must be reinforcing Ukraine’s military capacity.

He noted that Ukrainians are already using every available resource to defend themselves against Russian aggression and can only gain additional power from their partners, particularly the European Union and the United States.

“I would like to see the American administration also begin to understand that additional strength for Ukraine is the most effective way to achieve peace,” Kubilius added, according to Ukrinform.