Lithuanian Foreign Ministry strongly condemns Russia’s intensifying aggression against Ukraine

“We are shocked by today morning’s military attack against city of Mariupol, which killed civilians, among them children. This latest attack is yet another violation of Minsk agreement. We express our deep sympathy for the families of those killed, and to all Ukrainian people. Those responsible for this tragic attack must be brought to justice,” the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

“Recent attacks and killings in Volnovakha, also in a bus stop in Donetsk, and Mariupol- each day counts catastrophic numbers of deaths, including civilians ones, among them children, in the east of Ukraine. The persecution of Tatars and systematic human rights violations in Crimea continue. The statements by the leadership of Russia igniting violence and aggression are of particular concern.

“We urge all sides to the conflict not to escalate the situation, and start negotiations as soon as possible, and seek peaceful solution based on the international law and the Constitution of Ukraine, and not to choose the way of using force. Russia must admit its responsibility for the continuous violence, withdraw its military forces from Ukraine, stop supplying arms to terrorist and illegal armed groups, and create conditions for the reestablishment of control of the international border between Ukraine and Russia.”