Lithuania warns that any «concessions» to Russia on Ukraine's borders will pose a threat to the whole of Europe
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielus Budris said that Europe has no right to agree to any attempts by Russia to change Ukraine's borders as part of a potential peace deal. He said this in a comment quoted by European Pravda.
Budrys stressed that if the international community allows Russia to make «minimal» changes to Ukraine's borders, it will open the way for similar claims against other states, including Lithuania.
«If we allow the borders to be redrawn in any form, even the smallest, they will come to us with a felt-tip pen and a map, and then with tanks to redraw the borders. We cannot allow any de jure or de facto legitimisation of the occupied territories,» the minister said.
Context.
Budris' comment was a reaction to discussions about possible terms of peace talks between the US, Ukraine and Russia. Some of the proposals discussed at the diplomatic level included the possibility of freezing or partially fixing the frontline.
Lithuania and other Baltic countries categorically reject such scenarios, considering them a dangerous signal to Russia about the West's weakness.
Why it matters
The Baltic states have repeatedly warned that Russia may consider them as the next targets after Ukraine. Budris stressed that any «rewarding the aggressor with territory» undermines international law and sets a precedent for new wars in Europe.
Ukrainian
English