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On 28 May, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kęstutis Budrys, participated in the informal meeting of the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the European Union (Gymnich) in Limassol, Cyprus. While Russia continues to reject an unconditional ceasefire and the peace deal on ending its war of aggression against Ukraine, the diplomatic leaders of the 27 EU member states discussed measures to increase pressure on Russia and EU interests.

“Europe must secure a seat at the table in the upcoming peace  talks, but that seat itself must not become a goal. We need it to support Ukraine, strengthen its negotiating position, and defend Europe’s security interests. Europe's representation in the future negotiations must under no circumstances lead to the resumption of bilateral dialogue with Russia,” emphasized Budrys.

According to the Minister, there has been recent information chaos about whether Europe should resume contacts with Russia and who should represent Europe in those talks. This, according to Budrys, distracts attention from the key issue of support for Ukraine.

According to the head of Lithuania's diplomacy, first of all, we must clearly agree on what topics will be discussed, with whom we will negotiate, and how we will ensure that these talks will not lead to the legitimization of the aggressor Russia and the dismantling of the international rules-based order.

The Minister thanked the EU for its solidarity with the Baltic states in the context of Russia's disinformation campaign and stressed that the disinformation campaign of Russia and its accomplice Belarus is just another proof that a return to bilateral contacts remains unattainable.

"Russia remains a long-term threat. Recent violations of the Baltic airspace by drones only once again demonstrate the need to enhance the defence of our airspace. We need the Eastern Flank Watch, a capacity to protect our critical infrastructure; we must provide long-term EU tools to boost resilience and counter hybrid threats," said Budrys.

As regards the new European Security Strategy, Ministers also discussed how best to protect the EU's interests in a volatile geopolitical landscape and means to increase the EU's power and global influence.

“European security will have no foundation if we do not ensure Ukraine’s victory over Russia’s aggression. Russia will remain the biggest and long-term military threat to Euro-Atlantic security.  When preparing the new European Security Strategy, we need to focus on such key actions as continued support for Ukraine, strengthening defence in coordination with NATO defence plans, boosting economic resilience and competitiveness, reducing dependence on China, increasing pressure on hostile countries, and maintaining a strong transatlantic bond," said Budrys.

The informal meeting also discussed the impact of the crisis in the Middle East and other global challenges with the Foreign Ministers of India and Saudi Arabia. Budrys stressed the intensifying links between Europe and the Middle East and security situations in the wider region. He called on India and Saudi Arabia to show greater solidarity with Ukraine and increase pressure on Iran, help curb the military cooperation between Russia and Iran, and support the international rules-based order.