Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys Calls for a Stronger Europe at Maastricht Lecture
Beata Bruggeman-Sekowska
On 16 December, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kęstutis Budrys, delivered the Third Princess Beatrix Lecture in Maastricht’s Sint Janskerk, offering a powerful reflection on Europe’s security, unity, and responsibility at a time of growing geopolitical pressure.
Speaking in the city where the Maastricht Treaty was signed, Budrys described European integration as a conscious choice rather than a given. “Europe was built not on uniformity, but on unity; not on fear, but on commitment,” he said, linking today’s challenges directly to the founding promise of the European Union.
Drawing on Lithuania’s own history, Budrys recalled how EU membership once seemed an unlikely dream for a newly independent country in the early 1990s. Today, he argued, Lithuania stands as proof of what European cooperation can achieve — and why enlargement based on merit remains essential for countries such as Ukraine and Moldova.
A central theme of the lecture was Russia’s war against Ukraine, which Budrys described as “a direct challenge to the European project of peace.” He stressed that Ukraine’s defence is inseparable from Europe’s own security, stating: “Every Ukrainian soldier defending Kharkiv or Odesa is also defending Vilnius, The Hague, and Lisbon.” Concessions, he warned, would only invite further aggression.
Beyond conventional warfare, Budrys highlighted the intensification of hybrid threats, including cyberattacks, disinformation, drone incursions, and sabotage of critical infrastructure. These actions, he said, are often “under the radar of international law, but cause serious harm,” aiming to weaken European unity from within.
Budrys called on the EU to respond with greater urgency: by sustaining support for Ukraine, strengthening sanctions, reducing remaining dependencies on Russian energy, and investing in defence, civil society, and democratic resilience. “Peace is a choice,” he noted — and one that must be reaffirmed through action.
The lecture was preceded by a panel discussion titled “Europe on the frontline: Hybrid warfare, defence, and Baltic security”, moderated by Eva Hartog (POLITICO). Panelists included Joost Flamand (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Ieva Ilves (Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine), Bart van den Berg (Clingendael Institute), and Hylke Dijkstra (Maastricht University).
©Beata Bruggeman-Sekowska
Concluding his address, Budrys echoed words once spoken by King Willem-Alexander: “Your security is our security. Your freedom is our freedom.” Europe’s future, he said, “is not predetermined — it is chosen.”
The event concluded with a Q&A session, allowing the audience to engage directly on Europe’s strategic future.
©Beata Bruggeman-Sekowska
©Beata Bruggeman-Sekowska
The full lecture can be listened to here.
Our Central and Eastern Europe Center thanks for the invitation to this insightful lecture.
Photos: ©Beata Bruggeman-Sekowska
Author: Beata Bruggeman-Sękowska is an award-winning Dutch-Polish journalist and author. She is the chief editor of the Central and Eastern Europe Center and president of the European Institute on Communist Oppression. Born in Warsaw, Poland and currently residing in the Netherlands, Beata has roots in Lviv, Ukraine and has Armenian heritage.
