NATO-Russia meeting ‘did not bring sides closer on any issue’

“I don’t think that the positions of the sides have come any closer on any of the issues,” Vytautas Leškevičius, who took part in Wednesday’s meeting, told BNS by telephone from Brussels.

Neither NATO nor Russia thinks that it is possible to return to practical cooperation and “business as usual” in the near future, Leškevičius says.

“Neither NATO member states nor Russia think that it is possible, in the foreseeable future, to return to the so-called ‘business as usual’. In other words, not until Russia begins to respect all its international obligations so many of which have been broken over the last years,” he said.

Meanwhile Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius has said that Lithuania would not tolerate if Russia “uses such meetings as a smokescreen to continue breaching international law”.

Related Post

According to him, NATO-Russia consultations make sense if they take place in a constructive manner, rather than “being used for propaganda purposes”.

Moscow’s envoy to NATO, Alexander Grushko, said last week that Russia would use the talks with NATO to protest the Alliance’s “absolutely unjustified” military build-up in the Baltic countries.

Lithuania’s ambassador to NATO said that Russia had touched upon this subject during the meeting, which he said was not surprising given that Moscow had made similar complaints “constantly and on a whole range of occasions or without any occasion”.

According to Leškevičius, the answer was that “Russia’s aggression led the Alliance to develop even stronger defence capabilities where the Alliance deems it necessary and it is particularly necessary along the eastern perimeter of the Alliance”.

Share

Recent Posts

  • Latest

Message from the President’s Office to Paluckas on Žemaitaitis

While Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas does not take issue with the statements made by the…

1 month ago
  • Economy

Surprised by what’s happening in Lithuania: this is what makes us stand out in the EU

Lithuanian economists are surprised to see our country's economic growth: the Estonian economy has been…

1 month ago
  • Politics

Will the coalition shut the door on Žemaitaitis?

"The fate of Nemuno Aušra (Dawn of Nemunas) in the coalition has been decided; they…

1 month ago
  • Tribune

Airvolve has begun the patenting process for an exclusive aircraft

Airvolve, a Lithuanian dual-purpose aeronautics company, has successfully completed its first round of testing and…

2 months ago
  • Latest

Bruveris. The world in 2025: a continuation of last year’s collapses towards new fires

The world is becoming smaller, more intertwined, and increasingly fragmented, with many of the previous…

2 months ago
  • Tribune

Why Fine Dining Is Gaining Popularity in Vilnius?

In recent years, Vilnius, the vibrant capital of Lithuania, has experienced a culinary renaissance. While…

2 months ago