Negotiations with Russia regarding Ukraine must be conducted from position of strength, — Budrys
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys called on the EU to approach negotiations with Russia regarding the war in Ukraine from a position of strength, including support for Ukraine and the freezing of Russian assets.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by Ukrinform.
"Let me repeat: if we want to engage with Russia, especially in the context of difficult negotiations—such as those aimed at ending this war—we must approach this from a position of strength, not weakness," the minister said.
In his view, negotiations should not begin with an admission of Europe’s weakness or lack of strategic leverage.
"I know what the Russians will say to us. We are aware of their demands, which date back to 2021, and they will concern not only Ukraine but also us—including the issue of troop deployments. So, we need to pull ourselves together," Budrys said.
By this, he means long-term financial support for Ukraine, accelerating Ukraine’s accession to the EU, as well as frozen Russian assets.
"We must not forget that this issue remains unresolved. Yes, we have covered the issue with a 90-billion-dollar loan, but we need to talk about it. So, if we have these tools at our disposal—if we have a stick—then we can achieve a positive outcome with Russia, but not right now," the minister said.
What is known?
Yuriy Ushakov, an aide to the Russian dictator, responded with profanity to France’s proposal to involve Europe in peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
