Lithuanian Foreign Minister expects sanctions against Kremlin to be extended

  • 2015-06-08
  • From wire reports and TBT staff, VILNIUS

Speaking ahead of the 2015 G7 Summit in Germany, Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Linas Linkevicius, said he expects the European Union to extend its economic sanctions against the Russian Federation at the end of June.

Linkevicius believes the first Minsk Protocol, drawn up in September 2014, has “not been fruitful” and “the situation in Eastern Ukraine has not been stabilised.”

Subsequently, he feels the imposed sanctions will be extended.

The initial Minsk talks, which in addition to their Western counterparts, included representatives the Russian Federation, pro-Russian rebels, and Ukrainian government, included the formation of a 30 kilometre (19-mile) buffer zone between the two sides. 

However, fighting between Ukrainian forces and Kremlin-backed pro-Russian separatists has resumed in recent weeks.

The latest bout of violence in the region has seen two Ukrainian coastguards injured after a blast ripped through their patrol boat in the port of Mariupol. The exact circumstances remain unclear.

“I expect the sanctions to be extended in late June,” said Linkevicius. “So far, they have given certain political and economic effects, but no results were observed in the conflict zone in Ukraine.” 

Linkevicius added while he believes Ukraine should be provided with weapons and equipment from its Western partners, a “complete break-off of relations” with Russia should not happen. 

“It [Russia] should be isolated politically as much as possible, even though it does not mean a completed break-off of relations.

"A dialogue with the Russians was maintained even during the Cold War.” 

The European Union and United States imposed the economic sanctions on Putin's Russia as a result of its role in supporting Ukrainian rebels in Eastern Ukraine, and its annexation of Crimea in March 2014. 

The summit was previously known as the G8 until the Russian Federation was excluded following the Crimean annexation.