Lithuania rules out talks with Russia until war in Ukraine ends

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has said there is no point in engaging with Russia until it demonstrates a genuine willingness to end its full-scale war against Ukraine.

“I see no possibility for such contact or talks with Vladimir Putin now, because I believe that such conversations could only begin when Russia clearly demonstrates that it wants to end the war. There is a very simple way to do that: cease hostilities, seek a truce, and only then can something be discussed with the Kremlin regime,” Nausėda told reporters, LRT reports.

He added: “Attempts to talk a priori, without Russia fulfilling even minimal conditions, have ended in failure.”

The Lithuanian president made the remarks during a joint press conference in Vilnius with his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb.

Stubb, meanwhile, argued that European leaders should maintain the option of direct engagement with Moscow, noting that there has been no peace in Ukraine for four years.

Speaking in Vilnius, he said European engagement with Russia would need to be based on clear principles.

“We have said from the beginning that if negotiations between Russia and Europe were to start, they must be based on two things. First, European interests; we must ask ourselves the simple question of whether Europe is interested in not maintaining contact [with Russia], especially if the Ukrainians were inclined for Europe and Russia to be in touch,” Stubb said.

He added: “Another thing we must consider is [...] who, how, where, and when should establish that contact. We, as leaders of European countries, will have to decide this among ourselves, coordinating our position together.”

According to Stubb, any European dialogue with Russia can only begin when Ukraine is in a “position of strength,” arguing that Kyiv currently holds an advantage over Moscow on the battlefield and in other areas.

“It is not a question of whether we are legitimising the war or the regime, but sometimes you simply have to engage in uncomfortable conversations to end a war,” the Finnish president said.

By Vafa Guliyeva