Budrys met with Sybiha in Vilnius: Supporting Ukraine – Lithuania’s existential interest

On 25 January, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kęstutis Budrys, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha. The head of Ukraine's diplomatic service arrived in Vilnius as part of the delegation of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to commemorate the anniversary of the beginning of the 1863-1864 Uprising.

The bilateral meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Lithuania and Ukraine focused on the results of Ukraine's trilateral talks with Russia and the U.S. in Abu Dhabi a few days ago, further support for Ukraine, sanctions against Russia and its accomplices, and the aggressor's accountability for the crime of aggression and war crimes.

"Supporting Ukraine is an existential interest of Lithuania. By supporting Ukraine to the best of our ability, we are also investing in our own security and that of Europe as a whole. Thus, we are ready to further increase our military, political, and energy support for Ukraine and contribute to accelerating your country's accession to the European Union," said Budrys.

According to Lithuania's top diplomat, Ukraine's EU membership is a strategic goal, the implementation of which requires a clear target date of the year 2030 at the latest, and the opening of negotiations on the first negotiating clusters as soon as possible. Lithuania has been consistent is stating that negotiations on Ukraine's EU membership should be opened and conducted simultaneously with Moldova.

As Russia continues its terror attacks on Ukrainian civilians and critical energy infrastructure during the winter frosts, important topic of the meeting was energy assistance and winter survival. This week, Lithuania handed over a large batch of power generators worth 2.5 million euros and continues to mobilise national and international support. Lithuania is among the leading countries in providing support for the reconstruction of Ukraine's energy sector.

The meeting also discussed Lithuania's initiative proposal for the 20th package of EU sanctions. Lithuania's Foreign Minister stressed the need to limit Belarus's capacity to support Russia's aggression against Ukraine and prevent the aggressor from using the country's oil resources.

As regards Russia's accountability, Minister Budrys underlined Lithuania's determination to make every effort to hold Russia, its officials, and accomplice Belarus, the highest political and military leaders of these countries, to account for the crime of aggression and war crimes.

According to the Minister, we must take steps to make the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine operational as soon as possible and immediately ratify the Convention establishing the International Claims Commission for Ukraine.

The visit of Sybiha takes place during the period of intensive diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Ukraine. The last meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Lithuania and Ukraine took place in The Hague on 16 December, following the signature of the Convention to establish the International Claims Commission for Ukraine. On 22 January this year, a bilateral ministerial meeting was held remotely.