Lithuanian Foreign Minister calls for urgent strengthening of Ukraine’s air defense and protection of grain exports
Lithuania's Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys called for strengthening Ukraine's air defense and finding ways to reopen sea lanes to protect Ukrainian grain exports.
According to Censor.NET, he wrote about this on the social media platform X.
Air defense for Ukraine and the protection of grain routes
According to the Lithuanian foreign minister, Russian dictator Putin is attempting to project an image of strength and "success" through his attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure ahead of the "elections" to the State Duma.
"Putin continues to intensify his military campaign against Ukraine, using relentless missile and drone strikes to terrorize the civilian population and destroy critical infrastructure," Budris said.
The minister emphasized that the consequences of the Russian attacks extend far beyond Ukraine's borders.
According to him, attacks on ports, grain infrastructure, and shipping lanes threaten global food security. They also place additional pressure on millions of people who depend on Ukrainian agricultural exports.
Budris is convinced that Ukraine urgently needs stronger air defense and long-range capabilities. In addition, stable military and financial aid, as well as immediate support to strengthen energy resilience ahead of winter, are necessary.
The Black Sea needs to be unblocked
The Lithuanian foreign minister called for finding ways to reopen the shipping lanes in the Black Sea and protect Ukrainian grain exports.
"We must find ways to reopen the Black Sea shipping lanes and protect grain exports from Ukraine, while continuing to strengthen sanctions that limit Russia's ability to wage war," Budris said.
He also stressed that Russia must understand that destroying infrastructure and terrorizing the civilian population will not be enough to "bring Ukraine to its knees."
"Our support must be strong enough to ensure that this strategy does not fail and that a just and lasting peace comes closer to Ukraine and Europe," the Lithuanian minister concluded.
- As a reminder, on August 27, Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated that Moldova, Ukraine, and Romania should strengthen their cooperation in the area of airspace defense in light of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. She made these remarks following a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Romanian President Nicușor Dan.
