Foreign Minister Linkevičius on France selling warships to Russia: Economy trumps common sense

According to the minister, the blacklist of people banned from entering the EU and having their assets frozen, should include actual decision-makers and not only secondary officials.

“Economic sanctions are not yet decided upon because they bring double effects, for the receiving side but also for those who are introducing them. So it should be measured,” he told journalists in Brussels.

“In my understanding, we have not yet exhausted the second phase of targeted measures against individuals. We are not coming close to this circle which is the decision-making circle. That’s the point and the essence. This has effect. Let me also mention the military embargo which is not yet introduced. It’s not logical, we are not doing this (supplying arms – BNS) with a country whom we accuse of conducting aggression,” the Lithuanian foreign minister said.

Asked by journalists about France’s decision not to cancel the sale of Mistral military ships to Russia, Linkevičius said: “There are some deals which we can explain economically but we cannot understand.”

On Tuesday, EU foreign ministers are holding discussions as to whether take additional measures against Russia accused by Ukraine and the West of supplying guns to pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. The issue was raised once again after a Malaysian passenger plane was shot down flying over eastern Ukraine.