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On 12 October, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. The meeting took place in the margins of the European Union (EU) Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg, where support for Ukraine was one of the key topics on the agenda.

During their bilateral meeting, the ministers discussed progress in Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations, military and energy support for Ukraine, and measures to increase pressure on Russia and its accomplice Belarus.

“The security and stability of Europe as a whole depend on how quickly Ukraine becomes a full member of the EU. Lithuania will continue working to ensure that we achieve this goal by 2030 at the latest. This will be one of the key priorities of Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2027,” Budrys said.

As Lithuania’s Foreign Minister emphasised, Lithuania has consistently maintained that substantial progress must be made without delay in the negotiations on Ukraine’s EU membership.

The meeting also addressed Lithuania’s support for Ukraine’s defence and energy sectors. Lithuania remains committed to allocating 0.25 per cent of its GDP annually to military support for Ukraine.

With Ukraine facing a difficult winter due to Russia’s attacks on critical civilian infrastructure, Lithuania recently delivered 253 tonnes of energy equipment and is preparing to provide additional high-capacity transformers and other equipment. This equipment will help ensure the supply of heat and electricity to Ukrainians during the cold season.

Lithuania is also consistently investing in Ukraine’s long-term energy resilience by expanding decentralised energy generation and storage solutions in schools and hospitals.

The ministers also discussed measures to increase pressure on Russia and its accomplice Belarus.

“We must strengthen sanctions, prevent the illegal export to the European market of grain taken from the occupied territories of Ukraine, and ensure the continued isolation of these regimes, including from sporting and cultural events. As long as Russia continues its aggression against Ukraine, European unity, resolve and a policy of isolation must provide a clear response to violations of international law,” Lithuania’s Foreign Minister said.