Prime Minister meets with Heads of Government of Germany, Estonia and Latvia

On Friday, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Prime Ministers of Estonia and Latvia, Kaja Kallas and Krišjānis Kariņš, in Tallinn, Estonia. The parties discussed security and defence cooperation, support for Ukraine, efforts to hold Russia accountable on the international scale, preparations for the NATO Summit in Vilnius, and energy cooperation.

“Our support to Ukraine, including the provision of essential military weapons, must keep pace with the steadfast will and capacity of Ukrainians to resist the Russian military aggression. The support that saves lives every day is also needed to achieve sustainable peace in Europe. This will be achieved when Ukraine wins this war, in which democratic values and a rules-based world order are defended,” said Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.

Russia’s war crimes have become a hallmark and well-documented feature of its military actions in Ukraine, the Prime Minister said, and Russia’s international accountability for the crime of aggression and war crimes must continue to be pursued consistently. These atrocities are taking place beyond our borders thanks to the struggle of the Ukrainian army, and this is another reason why it is important to provide all the necessary support for Ukraine’s defence and victory, added Prime Minister Šimonytė.

We still have the means to expand and tighten sanctions against Russia and its ally Belarus, the Prime Minister stressed, noting the importance of effective implementation of existing sanctions in order to prevent sanctions evasion as much as possible.

The Prime Minister expressed her expectation that the decisions taken at the forthcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius will significantly strengthen the security of the Alliance’s countries. This is important in view of Russia’s long-standing confrontation with the entire democratic world and its continued aggressive policy near NATO’s borders. 

At the upcoming Summit of the Alliance, it is crucial to agree on progress in relations between NATO and Ukraine, the Prime Minister emphasized. This is also in the Alliance’s own interests in achieving long-term, sustainable peace and stability in Europe.

“Russia’s voice must not be a factor in deciding the future of Ukraine’s membership. It would be very disappointing if the outcome of the NATO Summit in Vilnius could be considered a victory for Russia,” the Lithuanian Prime Minister said.

The meeting also discussed cooperation in the field of energy and the development of renewable energy sources, which is also important for the complete elimination of EU countries’ dependence on Russian resources.