Lithuania's Foreign Minister Landsbergis: The peace in Ukraine can only come under Ukrainian terms

"The peace in Ukraine can only come under Ukrainian terms. In the meantime, any of the necessary conditions for peace negotiations does not exist, Russia has not changed any of its aggressive goals in Ukraine, thus, it is yet very premature to talk about the negotiations. The EU institutions should heed the voice of Ukraine and speed up the allocation of financial assistance to Ukraine," Lithuania's Foreign Minister Landsbergis noted in a discussion on Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.

As regards sanctions against Russia, the chief of Lithuania's diplomacy drew the attention of his counterparts and EU institutions to the fact that not only Lithuania, but also other countries had gathered sufficient evidence and proposals for the ninth package of sanctions, and expressed hope that the negotiation process on the new sanctions package would start in the near future.

“A nucleus of countries is forming with the aim to support the Ukrainian effort to create the Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression committed against Ukraine. The Special Tribunal would fill in the existing legal loopholes and would help to hold top Russian officials accountable for the war against Ukraine and the ongoing genocide,” Landsbergis said.

The head of Lithuania’s diplomacy also raised the issue of additional sanctions on Iran for the participation in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Ministers discussed preparations for the upcoming EU-Western Balkans summit on December 6 in Tirana, Albania, and the integration of the Western Balkan countries to the EU. They also contributed to updating the Strategic Framework for the Great Lakes region in Africa, aimed at stabilising security and humanitarian situation in the region, and strengthening the EU’s geopolitical role.

In addition, ministers discussed topical foreign policy issues: the latest developments in Iran and Lebanon, the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), and the outcome of the meeting of ministers of foreign affairs from the EU and from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in Buenos Aires.

On the margins of the Council, foreign ministers also met with the leader of the democratic forces of Belarus Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and discussed the situation in Belarus, as well as the role of Alexander Lukashenko’s regime in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Photos: The Council of Europe and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of  Lithuania.