Lithuanian minister criticises EU’s slow reaction to Iran offensive

The European Union should have reacted more swiftly to the military offensive launched by the United States and Israel against Iran, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys has said, arguing that the bloc must coordinate closely with Washington to secure long-term changes in the Middle East.

Speaking at a press conference held at the ministry on Monday, March 2, Budrys acknowledged shortcomings in the EU’s response time.

“Regarding the speed of the European Union’s reaction, yesterday I also had remarks for my colleagues. We are too slow, and aligning all of our positions and statements takes too much time. This must be acknowledged. We could have reacted faster,” he said.

According to the Lithuanian foreign minister, diplomatic efforts aimed at compelling Tehran to abandon the development of its nuclear program have failed to produce results.

Budrys added that the EU needs to clearly articulate its strategic objective, which he described as the destruction of a regime that poses an existential threat to Israel in the Middle East.

“Our interest should be to cooperate with the United States of America to achieve long-term changes in the region, and, in our assessment and conviction, we can do this with maximum respect for international law,” he stated.

By Tamilla Hasanova