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During the visit to Washington, D.C., the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Kęstutis Budrys met with the U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg.

Budrys and Kellog discussed the U.S. diplomatic efforts for a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine. According to Budrys, Russia's ever-changing demands on Ukraine, even ahead of talks, clearly show that Putin does not want peace and is deliberately stalling the process. The head of Lithuania's diplomacy stressed that the aggressor should not get what he started this aggression for, as this would encourage him to carry it out over and over again.

According to Budrys, negotiations with Putin are only possible from a position of strength, and the US has all the leverage for this. According to the Minister, Europe is ready to help increase pressure on the aggressor and has powerful tools in its hands – sanctions and frozen Russian assets.

The head of Lithuania's diplomacy emphasized the need for long-term support for Ukraine, including strengthening the capacity of the Ukrainian armed forces, as it is a strong deterrent to Russia, and Lithuania is committed to providing long-term military support.

“With China’s support for Russian aggression, North Korea’s direct involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine the consequences  of its outcome will be global and determine both the European and global security architecture. The common goal of Europe and the US is to ensure lasting peace,” said the Minister.