The foreign ministers of the Baltic states and Germany express their unwavering support for Ukraine and demand that Russia stop the aggression, the Foreign Ministry informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On Wednesday in Riga, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs (JV) received Estonian Foreign Minister Eva Maria Limets, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielis Landsbergs and German Foreign Minister Annalen Berbok. During the meeting, the ministers discussed the security situation in Europe, support for Ukraine and close cooperation against Russia’s widespread military aggression, as well as energy security issues.
The foreign ministers reaffirmed their readiness to continue to provide all kinds of support to Ukraine, whose needs in defense of Russia’s military attack are growing every day. Rinkēvičs emphasizes that the war is going on and Ukraine needs more help, so the ministers talked about what else everyone can do together, including in the military field.
“The Baltic States have achieved very high levels of aid to Ukraine, both military and humanitarian, in proportion to their gross domestic product. Each country has provided around € 200 million worth of military aid, not to mention humanitarian aid, which we will step up. The strategy is to help Ukraine so much. “as much as we can,” says the Latvian Foreign Minister.
At the meeting, the Baltic ministers emphasized the need to strengthen and expand the permanent presence of NATO forces on the eastern flank, while Germany reaffirmed the readiness of the Baltic States to do more for the security of the Baltic States and full support for NATO defense in the context of Article 5.
The ministers also discussed key transatlantic security issues on the way to the NATO summit in Madrid at the end of June this year. The Latvian Foreign Minister notes that the ministers agree that the way the world and Europe have changed since February 24 requires new non-standard solutions for the alliance. The ministers therefore discussed practical issues related to NATO’s expanded presence in the region, which would need to be improved and strengthened – air and air defense, coastguard, more troops in the region.
The foreign ministers of the Baltic states and Germany emphasized the need to get rid of Europe’s dependence on Russian energy resources by diversifying energy sources and working on the development of renewable energy resources. Rinkēvičs points out that Russia’s aggressive policy will not disappear even if the active phase of the war in Ukraine ends.
“We need to reorient our economies from cooperation with Russia to the maximum cessation of contacts. Sanctions against Russia must be continued and strengthened. Sanctions in the field of energy must be tougher,” the Latvian Foreign Minister said.
During the meeting in Riga, the ministers issued a joint statement calling for an end to Russian aggression in Ukraine and the withdrawal of Russian troops from all over Ukraine. In a statement, the Baltic and German foreign ministers expressed support for Russia’s human rights defenders, democratic forces, free media and independent civil society.
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