Prime Minister Speaks with Ukrainian President V. Zelenskyy
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The leaders discussed Ukraine’s most pressing needs for military and technical assistance and humanitarian aid, including air defence capabilities, as well as further tightening sanctions against Russia.
“Lithuania supports and will continue to support Ukraine in its efforts to achieve a lasting and just peace, maintaining that only Ukraine can decide its own future. Russia’s increasingly reckless aggression clearly shows that it is interested not in peace, but in further aggression and escalation. Pressure on the aggressor, including through sanctions, therefore remains essential,” Prime Minister M. Sinkevičius said.
As Russia expands its military attacks on Ukraine and intensifies strikes against civilian and critical infrastructure, the leaders discussed how Lithuania could provide essential assistance to the Ukrainian population ahead of a difficult winter.
Russia is attacking Ukraine’s grain export infrastructure and trading grain stolen from occupied territories, while also using European ports to export its own grain. In response, the Baltic states are seeking to halt this transit.
“Russia must not be allowed to use European port and rail infrastructure. We are therefore proposing solutions at EU level. The Lithuanian Government is seeking not only to ban such transit, but also to add specific Russian agricultural oligarchs who support the war to the sanctions list,” Prime Minister M. Sinkevičius said, outlining Lithuania’s initiative.
The conversation also covered Ukraine’s European integration. The Prime Minister assured President Zelenskyy that Lithuania, which will assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of next year, will actively work to mobilise support for Ukraine, its ambition to join the EU and its progress towards membership.