Lithuania has not been safe despite intense tensions between Belarus and Russia, according to the Prime Minister.
Ingrida Simonyte told the Financial Times that the forced boarding of the Ryanair flight between Athens and Vilnius and Belarus and the seizure of the passenger on board indicated that “you have no choice,” and “you must be prepared for anything,” by the presidential government. Alexander Lukashenko.
Nato said strong defense in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland since Russia joined 2014 in Crimea. International wars have been organized in each country, led by US and German allies, and police are being stepped up.
“Ironically, Lithuania has never been safer than it is today. Unfortunately, the area will be less stable than 10 years ago.
“Some of the things that one can only imagine, such as reorganizing borders, have really happened,” Simonyte said.
Lithuania is one of the few freedom fighters in the country, pulling opponents like Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Roman Protasevich, a journalist-freedom activist arrested last Sunday.
It has repeatedly warned the West of the dangers posed by Russia and in recent months has represented China, alleging that the minority Uyghur massacre and genocide have left the 17 + 1 group between Central and Eastern Europe and Beijing.
The Prime Minister of Lithuania said it was important for the EU to take immediate action on the airstrikes by Belarus as Minsk’s view was “completely undermining all the rights we have in the EU”.
Simonyte added that the EU should consider “all types of penalties“Against Lukashenko’s jurisdiction, a combination of his economic interests, his ability to make money in the financial markets, and his participation in the nuclear plant at Ostrovets near Vilnius has been opposed by Lithuania.
Simonyte will not discuss opposition to his actions in defense of Belarus’s opposition and his ally with Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is also in Lithuania.
“We all know the story of novichok in the United Kingdom. I fear these and governments where nothing is not elected. We are vigilant, we are careful, ”he added.
The Baltic states have been strengthened by a commitment from Nato and the US in recent years and their history of achieving military alliance targets to spend more than 2% on self-defense.
But Nordic neighbors in Sweden, Norway and Denmark said so he calls the alarm on Russian events in the Baltic Sea region as they conflict that increase their income.
Mr Simonyte said there was still much to be done in the Baltics, especially in terms of strengthening the air defense. “We are much safer and more prepared than ever. But that is not the end of the story. This world, based on alliances, ideas, and laws, is being redesigned. It means we have a responsibility to our Nato allies that they should be encouraged, “he said.
In the recent US removal of penalties on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that supplies Russian gas across the Baltic Sea, and which receives strong support from Germany, Simonyte warned of economic tensions that led the allies to “ignore some unpleasant things”.
He added that the US and Germany could assume that they had enough power to resolve any disputes with Russia in cooperation.
“Maybe this one [justified] but it is important that we do not deviate from the original. You are building your confidence in countries that are not like you, ”he said.
Lithuania has been revisited economically in recent weeks after FT reports government representatives in Germany think that Lithuanian fintech was used to steal more than 100m Cord before the fall last year.
Simonyte said Lithuania “is not a country that can change blind eye on some of the most controversial issues in exchange for having the most players on the market ”.
He also said there was no need to increase the law, but perhaps other requirements were needed, especially the financial police.
He also said that the central bank in Lithuania is looking at security risks in countries such as Russia and Belarus which are trying to use economic means to monitor their owners, where they earn money, and “any links with governments”.
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