Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has called on European countries to increase pressure on Russia due to the lack of signs that it is willing to end the war against Ukraine. He made the statement ahead of the EU summit in Brussels.
Source: Censor.NET
According to Nausėda, the prospect of a peace agreement remains distant, as Russia aims to seize as much territory as possible and shows no readiness to compromise. Therefore, the president emphasized, Europe must strengthen sanctions pressure.
New sanctions against Russian companies
The Lithuanian president expressed regret that the 20th sanctions package has not yet been adopted and urged consideration of the 21st package. He noted that several Russian companies, including Rosatom and Lukoil, are still not subject to restrictions.
“You cannot achieve a positive outcome in peace negotiations if you follow an appeasement approach. You must increase pressure to change Russian behavior,” Nausėda stressed.
Loan for Ukraine and Hungary’s position
The President of Lithuania highlighted the need to unlock the €90 billion loan for Ukraine, which is required for weapons procurement and economic support. At the same time, he acknowledged that convincing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is blocking this decision along with the sanctions package, remains challenging.
Nausėda also warned that events in the Middle East could divert attention from the war in Ukraine. He called on leaders not to allow this, emphasizing that the current stage of the war is critically important.