Foreign ministers of Lithuania, 6 other countries in Kyiv for talks on aid, energy crisis

  • 2022-11-28
  • BNS/TBT Staff

VILNIUS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis and his counterparts from six other European countries are visiting Kyiv on Monday.   

"We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs from Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden, are in Kyiv today in full solidarity with Ukraine," Landsbergis tweeted.

"Despite Russia's bomb rains and barbaric brutality Ukraine will win!" he added. 

The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said later on Monday that meetings in Kyiv focused on the  energy crisis triggered by Russia's strikes on urban infrastructure, and efforts to set up a special tribunal to investigate crimes of aggression.

"Our first meetings in Kyiv – with the CEO of UkrEnergo and the Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine – send a clear signal about Ukraine's priorities at the moment," Landsbergis said in a press release. 

"I do hope that the countries still undecided about the necessity of the Special Tribunal for investigating the crime of aggression will consider the Ukrainian request," he added.

The CEO of Ukrenergo, Ukraine's electricity transmission system operator, told the ministers said that his country needed not only weapons, but also power generators and transformers.

"It seems that we all will face a tough winter. However, the winter will be much tougher for the Ukrainians with constant bomb rains and disrupted power and water supply," said Landsbegis. 

"Lithuania was the first to supply power generators and transformers to Ukraine, but the country needs much more," he added.

Lietuvos, Estijos, Islandijos, Latvijos, Norvegijos, Suomijos ir Švedijos užsienio reikalų ministrai po susitikimo su Ukrainos premjeru planuoja išplatinti bendrą pareiškimą.

The miknistry said the foreign ministers of Lithuania, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Norway, Finland and Sweden planned to issue a joint statement after their meeting with the Ukrainian prime minister.

Russia, which launched its military invasion of Ukraine in late February, has attacked and severely damaged Ukraine's energy infrastructure in recent weeks.

The West is providing military, humanitarian and financial aid to the country and has imposed unprecedented sanctions against Moscow.