FM calls for tougher sanctions on Russia

On Wednesday in Vilnius, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Kęstutis Budrys met with his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis. The head of Lithuania’s diplomacy called on the European Union to impose tougher sanctions on Russia.

"One must understand that the aggressor will not abandon its goals and they are not limited to just Ukraine. […] We must do what we have been doing until now – to continue providing support to Ukraine. […] We must not stop at sanctions as what Putin’s side wants is to have opportunities to feed the war machine. We must step up sanctions," Budrys said in a joint press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Meanwhile, Greek Foreign Minister Gerapetritis said that the EU must not only impose stricter sanctions but also ensure that they are not avoided.Budrys added that an agreement was reached with his Greek counterpart to persuade NATO allies to increase their defence funding to at least 3% of the gross domestic product (GDP).