Stricter sanctions needed or West will struggle with ultimatums to Russia – Lithuanian FM

VILNIUS – The European Union must adopt tougher sanctions against Russia or the West will have "no chance for credible ultimatums" to the Kremlin regarding a ceasefire and peace negotiations in the future, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said in Brussels on Monday ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council's meeting.

"If we don't do it right now, there'll be no chance for credible ultimatums in the future, and it would mean we missed the great opportunity to achieve a ceasefire and then proceed with peace talks. Because now is the time to do it," he told reporters in the Belgian capital.

Budrys noted that it has been 104 days since Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire and 44 days since Western leaders gave Russian President Vladimir Putin an ultimatum to accept it or face tougher sanctions.

"As of today, we don't have a result. So now we have to move forward and agree on the 18th package with energy, with additional (shadow) vessels included, and also with Nord Stream 1 and 2," he said.

Speaking about sanctions against Belarus, the minister cautioned against interpreting the weekend release of 14 political prisoners as "a real intent to change the situation." 

Over 1,000 political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus, and in the past six months, the regime in Minsk has jailed more people for political reasons than it has released, he said.

"We see no reason to lift sanctions on Belarus. On the contrary, we have to align them with those imposed on Russia," Budrys said.

"So we see no grounds and no reasons now to lift the sanctions on Belarus. On the contrary, we have to synchronize them with the ones applied to Russia," Budrys said.

Among those released in Belarus on Saturday was Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a leading opposition figure. His wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who lives in Lithuania and stepped in as opposition leader following his imprisonment, said the United States helped secure his release and thanked US President Donald Trump.

Tsikhanouski, 46, had spent more than five years in prison.

Monday's meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) is expected to focus on Iran and the situation in the Middle East following US strikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities over the weekend.

Israel launched airstrikes on Iran more than a week ago, saying that its archenemy was close to developing a nuclear weapon.

On the eve of the FAC meeting, Budrys said he would call for applying the US approach of "peace through strength" to Ukraine as well, since it is "producing results in Iran."