Switchblading sides

After the seminal Munich Security Conference, which began with a bang and ended with a whimper,

former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, one Gabrielius Landsbergis, has outlined his take on a scenario where China steps in to fill the US-shaped hole in the Eastern Europe and provides to limitrophe states some degree of protection from Russia. Yes, you heard it right.

(Twitter thread in 17 posts)

I have nothing against deployment of Chinese and Indian peacemakers in Ukraine:

it could serve to balance the influence of the UK, whose friendly advice to Little Man in rumpled green hoodie had once broken Istanbul peace agreement. The UK did everything they could to protract the war as long as it takes its toll.

We shouldn’t also forget that the HMS Defender incident near the Crimea on June 23, 2021 served as a potent harbinger of the shots of war to come.

But Landsbergis’ post gives me a wide smile.

Hilariously funny to hear from him.

Why? Because during Landsbergis' tenure Lithuania, out of all countries in the EU, repeatedly dug out their diminutive hatchets against China so often, encouraged by Biden-Harris' administration, that eventually their relations downgraded to the level of chargé d'affaires and remained so since.

Meanwhile, Lithuanian population overwhelmingly opposed the government's policies towards China, while Landsbergis was ranked among least trusted Lithuanian public figures: 1.8% of respondents in a public opinion poll of 2023 gave him a thumb up.

Well, if Rome intends to cut payment to traitors, maybe Beijing would suffice?