Lithuanian president, EU leaders to discuss new sanctions for Russia

VILNIUS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and his EU counterparts will hold talks on new sanctions for Russia in Brussels on Thursday.

The president will also discuss support for Ukraine and talk about the EU at the European Council.

"The head of state will call on European leaders to continue their full support to Ukraine, to start negotiations on the 11th sanction package for Russia, and to pay attention to the situation in Moldova," the presidential press service said.

Lithuania will call for the inclusion of Russia's nuclear corporation Rosatom in the new package. Some countries, however, are against such a move as they use Russian technology.

Plans to sanction Belarus are also stalling in the EU. While Lithuania and other countries in the region are asking for more restrictions on Minsk, some of the EU member states want new exemptions Vilnius finds unacceptable.

Moreover, Nauseda is expected to one again raise the issue of a special tribunal in response to the International Criminal Court's recent decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.