Budrys in Stockholm: time for Europe to do more and do it now
On 19 February, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Kęstutis Budrys, met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Maria Malmer Stenergard, in Stockholm. The Foreign Ministers discussed bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and Sweden, regional Nordic-Baltic cooperation, security challenges facing the region, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and support for the country.
The Foreign Minister of Lithuania emphasized that the Nordic and Baltic countries are among Ukraine’s biggest supporters and are ready to increase their support further. According to Budrys, all European countries should demonstrate their commitment to strengthening political, financial, and military support for Ukraine and invest in their own security by increasing defence funding.
Minister Budrys underlined that Europe has a clear common goal, not only to seek an end to the war in Ukraine but also to stop Russia’s aggression once and for all. According to Budrys, sustainable peace can only be achieved by providing Ukraine with real security guarantees, the most reliable of which is Ukraine’s membership in NATO. He said that Ukraine must be empowered to negotiate from a strong position, and Europe must play an important role in strengthening Ukraine.
“The time for discussions is over. Europe needs to take decisive action right now. The end of Russia’s war against Ukraine will determine the future of Europe as a whole and affect the global security architecture,” said Budrys.
The Foreign Ministers of Lithuania and Sweden discussed further plans of support for Ukraine and additional measures to pressure Russia. Budrys said that further tightening of sanctions against Russia and its accomplice Belarus, the imposition of tariffs on imports from Russia, and the use of frozen Russian assets were powerful tools that Europe must use to force Russia to sit down at the negotiating table under Ukrainian conditions. The Foreign Ministers also discussed possible cooperation between Lithuania and Sweden in the implementation of Ukraine’s reconstruction projects.
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