EXCLUSIVE: Growing up under Soviet rule, Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė was not allowed to celebrate Christmas. Her mother was born in a Siberian prison camp. 

The crime?

Her teenage brother was caught handing out leaflets that said, «Lithuania is free.» After 50 years of Soviet occupation during the Cold War, many Lithuanians today are wary of any negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and are watching the Kremlin’s next moves closely.

«In my opinion, the only efficient diplomacy with Russia was what Al Capone said, the only good negotiation is when you have a gun on the table. So that’s probably the kind of diplomacy that would work with Russia,» Šakalienė warned during an interview at the Lithuanian Embassy in Washington Friday.

When asked if Putin could be trusted, the 46-year-old defense minister, who once lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as an exchange student, replied, «Are you kidding me? After what was done to my family and by Russia for generations, I don’t think you would find any Lithuanian who could trust Vladimir Putin.»

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is now more than three years old. Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has engaged in direct talks with Russia to end the war.

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Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė sat down for an interview with Fox News and discussed Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Reuters Photos | Fox News)

«Historically, Russia has never ever kept an agreement,» Šakalienė said.» Our only hope is that the tough and harsh approach by President Donald Trump may be the only safeguard keeping Putin in check. So let’s hope that happens.»

Located in Eastern Europe with a population of 2.8 million in an area roughly the size of West Virginia, Lithuania cannot afford to ignore Russia. It shares a 184-mile border with Russia (Kaliningrad) as well as a 420-mile border with Belarus, which she says is «now just a platform for the Russian army.»

She said, «They are trying to frighten us. They are trying to make us feel insecure,» about the Russian forces next door.

Lithuania is ramping up defense spending as a result of Russia launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and plans to exceed Trump’s demand that NATO allies spend 5% of GDP on defense. Šakalienė said her country hopes to reach 6% by next year. The U.S. currently spends 3.4%.

Last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also urged NATO allies to ramp up defense spending. «The United States will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship which encourages dependency,» he warned at NATO headquarters in Brussels on his first overseas trip.

As a NATO defense minister, Šakalienė was there in Brussels. She applauded Hegseth’s remarks, calling them an «ice-cold bucket of water.»

Russian President Putin giving a speech in Moscow. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)

«I saw the faces of my colleagues. A lot of shock, a lot of stress,» she said. «Nobody in the room mentioned 2% [of GDP] which is so redundant, irrelevant, inadequate. It’s gone. It’s old news.»

When asked why Western Europe has been lagging on defense spending years after Russia seized 20% of Ukraine, Šakalienė replied, «I think that a very large part of the democratic world got caught up in this illusion of an idealistic world, which has never existed.»

She said part of the illusion was believing wars are over. Russia never thought this way, she explained.

«The non-democratic part of the world has not changed. They are actually playing by their rules. So if they are not playing by our rules, our blindness is what put us in this dangerous position.»

TRUMP THREATENS SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA, DEMANDS PEACE AFTER MAJOR HITS IN UKRAINE

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Tatarstan Republic, Russia. (Contributor/Getty Images)

Šakalienė is the only NATO defense minister sanctioned by China. When asked about Beijing’s motives in supporting Russia, her answer might surprise some people.

«Russia is able to boost its military production so efficiently because China is feeding it,» she said.  «It is useful for China to have this war of exhaustion, and also it is useful for China, even though it supplies Russia, to see Russia also lose a lot of its soldiers – a lot of its weapons and equipment – because a weaker Russia is more convenient to China.»

Despite heavy battlefield losses in Ukraine over the past three years, Russia is building an army of 1.5 million soldiers, according to Šakalienė, who warned Putin has «more imperial expansion plans in his hand.»

When Fox News sat down at the Lithuanian Embassy on Friday, Trump was trying to secure a mineral rights agreement with Ukraine and eventually hopes to seek a ceasefire agreement with Russia.

«If Russia violates the ceasefire, the response must be immediate and violent,» Šakalienė urged.

When asked for her reaction to a report that Trump is considering not defending NATO allies who do not spend enough on defense, Šakalienė applauded the harsh rhetoric from Trump, calling it «painful» but justified. «Everyone needs to contribute, burden sharing is the main rule if you really want to have a strong alliance.»

She pointed to the Baltic States and Poland as leading NATO members in defense spending as a percentage of GDP.

Last year, the European Union, which Lithuania is a member, spent more on Russian oil and gas than aid to Ukraine. Šakalienė said her country was «the first one to cut off» Russian oil and gas. «We were even supporting our neighbors, Latvians and Polish with energy supplies. So for us, being independent of Russian energy is a matter of life and death.»

Lithuania’s first LNG terminal was aptly named «Independence,» according to Frank Fannon, who served in Trump’s first term as assistant secretary of state for energy resources.

When Fox News sat down at the embassy, Lithuania had just announced it would be withdrawing from the convention on cluster munitions, an international agreement by more than 100 nations prohibiting cluster bombs. Šakalienė explained why Lithuania is pulling out.

«We want to be ready to use anything and everything necessary to protect our borders. We don’t want Russians to come to our homes again. We want to send a strategic message, a very clear message, that we will do anything to protect ourselves.»  

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Minister of Defense of the Republic of Lithuania Dovilė Šakalienė at a press conference. (Jörg Carstensen/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Lithuania, along with other European nations, also wants to withdraw from another treaty soon known as the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel land mines.

«This is a terrible weapon, just like cluster munitions, but the Russians are using the weapons, including forbidden weapons. So we want to send the message back,» she said.

In addition to Russia, China and the United States are also not parties to the agreement. In 2014, the United States announced it would abide by the Ottawa Convention, except for the landmines already deployed on the Korean Peninsula.

Šakalienė, a deeply devout Christian, said Russia is not only attacking Ukraine, but the Christian faith as well.

«It was Soviet Russia that tried to annihilate the church in Ukraine, in Lithuania, in Poland. They have now sort of revived their Christianity and are using it for KGB infiltration, for FSB infiltration, she said. «This is a betrayal.»

She continued, «When we see how churches in Ukraine are being bombed, being robbed…the Christian community in Ukraine is being murdered and their beautiful heritage is being destroyed.»

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The Lithuanian defense minister ended the interview with a final warning.

«We tend to try to diminish our enemies. This is a mistake. You have to see them for what they are.»

A newly released study is challenging the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation of starvation claims against Israel and exposes the Hamas terror organization’s role in controlling aid distribution. 

Just last week, as a result of Hamas terrorists’ refusal to extend the ceasefire deal and start releasing the 59 hostages still held in Gaza, the Israeli government decided to halt all goods and supplies going into Gaza. 

Yet despite howls of criticism from U.N. relief chief Tom Fletcher, who called the decision «alarming,» the Trump administration has given its blessing to the move. 

Retired Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a former IDF international spokesperson and now a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, dismissed claims of starvation, telling Fox News Digital that Hamas hoards supplies while Israel ensures aid enters. «Over 25,200 trucks arrived during the ceasefire – enough for four months. If there’s hunger, it’s because of Hamas corruption, not a lack of food,» he said.

The study published by Israeli public health experts, based on data from Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), challenges these claims, showing no evidence of famine or intentional deprivation.

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The study, named «Food supplied to Gaza during seven months of the Hamas-Israel war,» was led by nutrition and public health experts Aron Troen and Ronit Endevelt, along with researchers from multiple Israeli universities and the Ministry of Health. The study analyzed food shipments into Gaza from January to July 2024. 

Using international food composition databases and the Sphere humanitarian standards, they tracked calorie intake, nutritional value, and humanitarian aid efforts, providing an objective, data-driven analysis of food supplies delivered to Gaza during the first seven months of the war.

The research assessed food shipments from international donors processed through COGAT. Each item was categorized based on its energy content, protein, fat and micronutrient composition. The total nutritional supply per capita was then measured against international benchmarks to ensure accuracy.

Hamas terrorists stand in formation as Palestinians gather on a street to watch the handover of three Israeli hostages to a Red Cross team in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on Feb. 8, 2025. (Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

«We didn’t enter politics,» said professor Ronit Endevelt. «We just wanted to know if, from a nutritional perspective, the food entering Gaza was sufficient. We double-checked our data multiple times to avoid exaggeration.»

Between January and April 2024, 14,916 trucks carrying 227,854 tons of food entered Gaza, averaging 124 food trucks per day. The study found that the daily per capita caloric supply averaged 3,374 kcal, with 101 grams of protein and 80.6 grams of fat – meeting or exceeding international humanitarian food aid standards.

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«In March 2024, the United Nations Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned of imminent famine in Gaza. Within days, cautious technical language gave way to media headlines and political statements claiming mass starvation was already underway,» professor Troen told Fox News Digital. 

«One of the most persistent falsehoods has been the claim that before the war, 500 or more humanitarian trucks entered Gaza daily, and that this number was necessary to meet the population’s needs. In reality, the number of food trucks was around or fewer than 100 per day before the war, and has since increased substantially,» he continued. «Our study aimed to address that gap by analyzing verified food shipments. The numbers show that while there were variations, at no point did the food supply drop to starvation levels.»

A poultry stall in the market in Deir al Balah in the center of the Gaza Strip. (Majdi Fathi/TPS-IL)

When asked specifically about testimonies obtained by Fox News Digital from Gazans who reported struggling to find food on certain days, Endevelt acknowledged the study did not track final distribution within Gaza. «We can’t say there was no hunger, but we can confirm enough food entered,» she said. «Most of the time, in most months, there was enough food available.»

A key finding of the study is the distinction between food supply and distribution. «Hamas systematically weaponized food distribution, using it as a tool of control,» said Endevelt. «Aid often didn’t reach those in need because Hamas seized supplies, sold them on the black market, or prioritized its own fighters. Reports of famine are not due to a lack of aid but Hamas’ deliberate strategy of restricting access to maintain power and profit.»

Despite these findings, the ICC investigation and global criticism continued. «IPC reports, widely cited as evidence against Israel, failed to mention Hamas’ role in manipulating aid,» Troen said.

When asked by Fox News Digital whether the new findings would be considered in its investigation, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor responded: «The ICC Office of the Prosecutor has a current and ongoing investigation in relation to the Situation in the State of Palestine. The Office’s investigations are built from a wide range of sources. They can encompass Article 15 communications, information from states, international partners, and civil society, publicly available sources of information, and the direct collection of evidence by the Office, including interviews with witnesses.

Aid is delivered from Israel to Gaza. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit)

«The Office is unable to provide further information with respect to details of its investigative activities in response to your request at this stage. Confidentiality is a crucial part of our work and is essential to protect the integrity of the investigations and to ensure the safety and security of victims, witnesses, and all those with whom the Office interacts.»

The U.N. spokesman referred Fox News Digital to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which requested more time to respond. However, even after the extension was granted, no response was provided.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan

Publishing the study posed challenges. «Given the anti-Israel bias in parts of the scientific community, we opted to submit to the Israeli Journal of Health Policy Research, a peer-reviewed journal under Springer Nature,» Troen said. «We wanted the data available quickly to improve humanitarian efforts. However, the political climate made the review process unusually intense.»

«This was one of the most rigorously reviewed studies I’ve ever worked on,» Endevelt added. «We had five reviewers, far more than usual, and months of back-and-forth revisions to ensure absolute accuracy.»

The research team, including experts from Hebrew University, Ben-Gurion University, Tel Aviv University and Haifa University, conducted the study with a commitment to scientific rigor. The paper, now widely cited, underscores the importance of transparent data in evaluating humanitarian crises.

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«One thing is clear: given the amount of food entering Gaza and ongoing reports of hunger, distribution must be improved,» Troen concluded. «Effective cooperation between U.N. agencies, COGAT, and Palestinian civil society, without Hamas’ interference, is crucial to ensuring aid reaches those who need it most.»

Romania’s central election authority has banned Calin Georgescu, a populist candidate and frontrunner, from running in May’s presidential election re-run.

«Europe is now a dictatorship, Romania is under tyranny!» Georgescu said in a post on X, following the decision. «I have one message left! If democracy in Romania falls, the entire democratic world will fall!»

Trump’s administration has taken an interest in Romania’s presidential election since it was canceled in May because of Russian collusion allegations in Georgescu’s favor. 

SpaceX CEO and DOGE leader Elon Musk chimed in and shared his reaction to the decision.

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«This is crazy,» Musk wrote on X.

Kari Lake, Trump administration senior advisor for the US agency for global media, also reacted and compared what is happening in Romania to what «they tried with Trump here in America.»

«Do you love your country & want to put it first?» Lake posted on X. «Then, the Globalists want you removed from the ballot & silenced. They tried it with Trump here in America. They did it to Bolsanaro in Brazil. Now, they’re doing it to Georgescu in Romania. The people should dictate their country’s future. Not the international order & their captured court.»

Georgescu, who won the first round of Romania’s canceled presidential election last year, was taken into custody for questioning by the country’s top prosecutors back in February.

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Calin Georgescu, the independent candidate for presidency who won the first round of presidential elections, speaks after an interview with the Associated Press in Izvorani, Romania, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Romania’s Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the election two days ahead of the Dec. 8 runoff after Georgescu’s first-round win. He had polled in single digits and declared zero campaign spending, according to The Associated Press. Allegations of Russian interference and electoral violations quickly emerged. After the election cancelation, prosecutors launched an investigation into alleged campaign funding fraud, as well as alleged antisemitism and hate speech. 

The Trump administration has criticized Romania for canceling last year’s presidential election, with Vice President JD Vance alleging that the court’s ruling was based on «flimsy suspicions» and «enormous pressure» from Romania’s neighbors.

JD Vance and Romania presidential frontrunner Georgescu. (Getty Images)

Vance said in December, «Romania straight up canceled the results of a presidential election based on the flimsy suspicions of an intelligence agency and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors.» 

He also warned European leaders that they cannot win a «democratic mandate» by «censoring your opponents or putting them in jail,» nor by «disregarding your basic electorate on questions like who gets to be a part of our shared society.» 

«To many of us on the other side of the Atlantic, it looks more and more like old, entrenched interests hiding behind ugly Soviet-era words like misinformation and disinformation, who simply don’t like the idea that somebody with an alternative viewpoint might express a different opinion or, God forbid, vote a different way, or even worse, win an election,» Vance said. 

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Georgescu, a staunch critic of NATO and Western support for Ukraine, has sparked controversy in the past for describing Romanian fascist and nationalist leaders from the 1930s and 1940s as national heroes, according to The AP. 

He has also praised Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past as «a man who loves his country,» and has called Ukraine «an invented state.»

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com