Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys on Wednesday said the US and Israeli war with Iran’s must not divert the international community’s attention from Ukraine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Budrys made the remarks after participating in an informal meeting of the Council of the Baltic Sea States ministers. The meeting in Warsaw discussed Ukraine’s peace process, security guarantees for the country and efforts to accelerate its European Union accession process.
“The situation in the Middle East has a destabilising effect on European and global security. However, we cannot under any circumstances turn away from Ukraine. A strong, independent, and sovereign Ukraine is a necessary condition for the future security architecture of our continent,” Budrys was quoted in the statement.
European participation in the peace process is essential, he added, because the outcome of the war will directly determine the continent’s security, and European states are already bearing the brunt of the war’s burden.
“Therefore, it is crucial to ensure close cooperation with the United States and other partners to help maintain Ukraine’s strong position and prevent Russia’s attempts to impose conditions,” the statement said.
Budrys listed three urgent tasks: helping Ukraine survive the winter amid Russia’s strikes on energy infrastructure, strengthening Ukraine’s negotiating position in talks, and exposing what he said is the Kremlin’s unwillingness to seek peace.
“This requires urgent and coordinated financial, technical, air defence and interception support for Ukraine,” the statement said.
Additionally, the minister said it is necessary to encourage international institutions, including the International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Criminal Court, to actively respond to Russia’s actions against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, whose deliberate and planned destruction amounts to a war crime.
Budrys said setting a clear European Union membership date – no later than 2030 – would not only significantly strengthen Ukraine’s negotiating position but also act as a strong non-military security guarantee.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that at the meeting Budrys also called for the swift unblocking of a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine and the adoption of the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, both currently thwarted by Hungary.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
