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“I don’t think that option (invasion – BNS) can be rejected,” G. Landsbergis told reporters at Vilnius airport.
He said the popularity of the Russian president had been declining recently, so the “shooting” on the border with Ukraine could be seen as an attempt to “mobilize the electorate.”
The minister also stressed that Moscow’s actions could be seen as a test for the new US presidential administration to “test how they would react.”
A unified approach is important
Mr. Landsbergis pays a solidarity visit together with the Foreign Ministers of Latvia and Estonia, Edgars Rinkevičius and Eva-Maria Liimets.
In Kiev, the Baltic ministers will meet with Ukrainian leaders and senior officials.
According to Latvian Minister E. Rinkevičius, the meeting with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is especially important before the meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council, which will discuss the situation on the Russian border. and Ukraine.
He also emphasized the importance of a united approach between NATO and EU members.
“It is very important that the international community, the EU and NATO, send a clear signal to Russia that any aggressive action will have consequences,” said the head of Latvian diplomacy in Vilnius.
For his part, Estonian Foreign Minister EM Liimets expressed his support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, calling Russia’s actions “international concern.”
According to Landsberg, the purpose of the visit is not only to show Ukraine “100% unconditional support”, but also to send a clear signal to Russia that it will “immediately reduce the situation and withdraw its forces.”
“Both I and my colleagues want to confirm that Ukraine is not alone in such a difficult time. Their friends are together,” the minister said.
Will not apply to Ukraine’s NATO membership plan
Last week, Landsbergis said that Lithuania would offer NATO allies Ukraine a membership action plan, which would allow the country to become a member of the Alliance.
However, the minister said Thursday that such an appeal was no longer planned at this time.
“One of NATO’s strengths is unity. We need to send a signal not only from the countries that feel closest to Ukraine, but also from the Alliance itself.” The Alliance strongly supports Ukraine’s aspirations, along with its territorial integrity and sovereignty, but decided that it was better to have that common message throughout the Alliance, not just in a few countries, “he said.
“There is currently no such appeal,” he added.
However, G. Landsbergis told BNS that Lithuania supports and will support the idea of a membership action plan.
“Only as long as our support for this continues at this stage have colleagues mentioned the same, but for the time being we have decided to refrain from addressing colleagues publicly,” the minister said.
For his part, E. Rinkevičius stated that this is an issue on which the decision must be unanimous, so discussions with the allies must continue.
“We have decided that other appropriate support programs are much better. In practical terms, those programs are likely to be much more effective,” said Latvia’s foreign minister.
He stressed that, in due course, NATO should provide an action plan for accession to both Ukraine and Sacartwell.
“This issue should not be discounted,” he said.
Ask for problems to be resolved peacefully
Estonian Foreign Minister EM Liimets said the country strongly supports Kiev’s reforms towards Euro-Atlantic integration.
“As for Russia’s annexed Crimea, it is very important that countries re-review the Minsk agreement and continue to peacefully address the issue of territorial integrity,” he said.
A spokeswoman for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that there are 41,000 people on Ukraine’s eastern border. Russian troops and another 42 thousand. – Crimean Peninsula.
Kiev and its allies in the West have accused Russia of mobilizing tens of thousands of troops on the border with Ukraine in recent weeks.
Moscow, for its part, says it has deployed troops along its western border to conduct exercises in response to the threat of NATO action.
Ukraine has been fighting pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country since 2014, when Moscow annexed Crimea.
Kiev and the West accuse Russia of supporting the separatists with troops and weapons. Moscow denies the allegations.
The protracted conflict in Ukraine has already cost more than 13 thousand people. it lives. The recent resumption of regular fighting threatens last year’s ceasefire.
It is not allowed to publish, quote or reproduce the information of the BNS news agency in the media and on websites without the written consent of the UAB “BNS”.
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