News

On 10 February, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius is visiting towns of Kramatorsk and Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, where residents have been affected by military actions.

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister met with the head of the military and civil administration of Avdiivka Pavlo Malyhin, the Governor of the Donetsk region and the head of the military and civil administration Pavlo Zhebrivsky, the Ukrainian soldiers and aid workers, the residents of the town, and interacted with pupils from the school in Avdiivka.

“We came to voice our solidarity with the people that live practically on the front line and were under intense shelling last week. We wanted to see the security situation in eastern Ukraine for ourselves and learn at first hand what kind of help is needed by the people who live here,” said Linkevičius.

“We saw multi-storey residential buildings that were destroyed as Russia-backed separatists shelled them. Such sights are shocking. These are terrible crimes,” said Lithuania’s Foreign Minister.

“It is obvious that Russia’s continuing aggression against the Ukrainian people and the shelling by Russia-backed separatists violate the Minsk agreements. Sanctions against Russia must be kept in place. This is important for the full implementation of the Minsk agreements. This is also important from a moral point of view,” said Lithuania’s Foreign Minister during his visit to Avdiivka.

According to Linkevičius, the people affected by war need our constant attention and support.

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister informed that in response to escalating violence and a deteriorating humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine (the town of Avdiivka and neighbouring regions), Lithuania that week had allocated EUR 40 000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross for humanitarian aid to Ukraine and for buying medications and drugs.

In 2014-2016, the total support of Lithuanian public institutions to Ukraine amounted to EUR 8.3 m. Non-governmental organizations and the people of Lithuania have also actively provided support to Ukraine.

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister also visited centres for humanitarian assistance in Avdiivka and interacted with the pupils of the town.

The pupils and teachers of the school in Avdiivka noted that the Ukrainian people felt love for Lithuania. As the Valentine’s Day is approaching, the pupils of the elementary school made a tree out of multiple hearts and inscribed in it their cordial wishes for the people of Lithuania and the President Dalia Grybauskaitė.