“Amazing lack of urgency” - this is the ironic evaluation of Lithuania’s defense readiness by some external intelligence officers, straight after the occupation of Crimea. Vaidotas Malinionis, a retired colonel, shares his insights on building our defense capacities and with some regret, emphasizes the lack of leadership and brave decisions for making us even stronger. The potential of 120 thousand retired servicemen is still overlooked. How far, since the war against Ukraine, have we progressed from a country trying to deter to a country capable to defend itself?