Lithuanian, Polish, Ukrainian parlt speakers coordinate positions amid Russia tensions

  • 2022-02-18
  • BNS/TBT Staff

VILNIUS – Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen held a virtual meeting with her Polish and Ukrainian counterparts, Marshal of the Polish Senate Tomasz Grodzki and Ruslan Stefanchuk, chairman of the Ukrainian Verhhovna Rada, on Friday and coordinated their positions, if Russia invaded Ukraine.

"Lithuania's support for Ukraine is unquestionable. We are now taking many diplomatic, political and practical steps and supporting it with all legally allowed forms, including the provision of military assistance, military training, joint exercises, the treatment and rehabilitation of injured soldiers. Last week, another shipment was delivered to the Ukrainian army and it includes Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems, and a Seimas delegation paid a solidarity visit to Kyiv," Cmilyte-Nielsen was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Seimas' press service.

She also pointed out that Lithuania and personally she, as the Seimas speaker want "the international community to maintain its principled position on the Ukraine issue, to act in a coordinated manner and be in constant contact under both multilateral and bilateral formats".

The parliamentary speakers agreed to meet in Kyiv shortly.

Earlier this week, Cmilyte-Nielsen discussed regional security issues with her Baltic and Nordic counterparts.

Moscow now has over 100,000 of its troops near Ukraine's border, stoking fears in the West of its possible invasion of Ukraine. Western countries are also concerned about the ongoing joint Russian-Belarusian military drills in Belarus.