Baltic States – CIS, EU – Baltic States, Forum, Legislation, Lithuania, Ukraine

Dalia Grybauskaite and Petro Poroshenko in Munich. Photo: lrp.lt

The Lithuanian President underlined that the escalating situation in Ukraine, claiming more and more civilian casualties, poses a threat to peace and security of the whole region. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine must be stopped immediately. Europe should provide wide-ranging assistance to Ukraine.

President Grybauskaite together with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden took part in a debate on the current security situation in Ukraine and Europe.  

The President noted that Lithuania and Ukraine had the same neighbor – Russia – which is involved in open military aggression, sending troops and military equipment to the territory of Ukraine.

According to the President, to maintain its influence in the region Russia uses means of political pressure – economic blockades, suspended oil supplies, discriminatory customs procedures, unfair gas prices, and continually demonstrates its military power at NATO borders.  

The President further noted that Ukraine needed wide-ranging assistance of Europe. We cannot betray Ukraine for economic benefits: if we betray Ukraine, we will betray ourselves. According to the President, Lithuania supports Ukraine because we understand that if we fail to help this country, aggression can be directed against the Baltic States, too.