Not inviting Baltic states to London talks was mistake - Lithuanian Foreign Minister
Photo: Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys (Getty Images)
It was a mistake not to invite the Baltic states to the meeting of state leaders in London over the weekend. However, for Lithuania, the most important thing is to be sure that this will be avoided in the future, says Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys.
“It’s very important for us that Europe is at the common table; [...] now we can see Europe’s efforts to shape that table and the agenda for future peace talks,” Budrys said.
According to him, one of the formats could be negotiations with the participation of the Nordic and Baltic countries. He recalled that at the first Weimar+ meetings, the Danish Prime Minister represented these countries, and this model was positively evaluated.
Budrys explained that Denmark was chosen because it holds the presidency of the Nordic-Baltic Eight this year, will also hold the presidency of the European Union for the next six months, and is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. He stated that this made Denmark a natural choice for the role.
The Lithuanian Foreign Minister also emphasized the need to involve the Baltic states in the negotiation process.
He emphasized that when the circle is expanding, and this time not only Denmark but also other Nordic countries were present, it would have been a mistake not to invite the Baltic states. He stated that they had made this clear.
London summit
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer organized a summit on Ukraine on Sunday, March 2. The meeting of European leaders was intended to demonstrate joint and firm support for Ukraine.
The Baltic states are “very unhappy” that the UK did not invite their leaders to join the Ukraine summit. Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia were excluded.
