Lithuania’s FM urges EU unity before talks with Russia

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys has urged European countries to establish a unified position before considering representation in any potential negotiations with Russia over the war in Ukraine.

Speaking as discussions continue across European capitals about possible participants in talks with Moscow, Budrys stressed that defining clear objectives must come first.

“Before starting negotiations, we must agree on what exactly will be the subject of negotiations, what our demands are, what the final result should be, and what the criteria for success are. We must be ready for this. In this case, the ‘let’s try’ approach is inappropriate; there is nothing to try here,” he said.

According to Budrys, the European Union should not move forward with selecting representatives or engaging in talks until a common framework is fully agreed upon, including clear goals, expectations, and benchmarks for success.

Only after reaching such a consensus, he added, can the EU determine “who will do what and whether now is the right time.”

By Tamilla Hasanova