Poland FM discusses Ukraine crisis with counterparts from Baltic nations in Latvia

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau on Friday met with his counterparts from the Baltic states in Riga. During the meeting, the Foreign Ministers of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia discussed the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. The leaders discussed the opportunities to bolster joint efforts to Ukraine and issues from the NATO agenda. After meeting with Foreign Ministers of the Baltic states, Zbigniew Rau called it "critical" that Ukraine receives support, including military assistance amid the Russian military offensive.  

Notably, the minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkevics welcomed his Estonian counterpart Eva-Maria Liimets, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis and Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau to Riga  According to the tweet from the Poland Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rau underscored that Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been providing support to Ukraine and stressed that Ukraine requires more help in the "unequal fight." During the meeting, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics called for the permanent presence of NATO troops in the Baltic States and Poland which would enable them to "resist any threat from Russia and Belarus and protect every inch of our territory."

Leaders discuss providing military support to Ukraine 

The meeting between the Foreign Ministers focused on cooperation between the Baltic States and Poland to bolster regional security and issues linked to NATO's agenda, including preparations for the upcoming bloc summit in Spain on 29 and 30 June, the statement released by the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry read. The Foreign Ministers discussed the joint goal of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to make decisions on "the adaptation of defence and a substantial reinforcement of defence on NATO’s eastern flank approved at the next NATO summit." During the meeting, the leaders discussed providing military support to Ukraine as Russian military offensive continues for over 60 days. 

FMs of Baltic states & Poland assert EU sanctions against Russia must include oil 

Eva-Maria Liimets, Edgars Rinkevics, Gabrielius Landsbergis and Zbigniew Rau agreed that EU sanctions against Russia must include oil and added that frozen Russian assets could be used for redeveloping Ukraine, as per the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry statement. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis at the meeting said, "We must strive for NATO’s new strategic concept to reflect the changed security situation in Europe, to name Russia as a long-term threat, and to give priority to NATO’s task of collective defence." Gabrielius Landsbergis stated that Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia support Ukraine's aspirations to the European Union and urged the EU to adopt its open-door approach to the war-torn country. Earlier on April 13, Polish President Andrzej Duda along with leaders of Baltic states travelled to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

Image: Twitter/@MFAPoland