"European Values Are Defended with Blood": Nausėda Makes Statement on Ukraine's Accession to the EU
The Lithuanian President noted that more and more European politicians realized that Russia was a long-term threat.
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Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda believes that negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the European Union should begin this year.
Nausėda said this during a joint press conference with the President of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
The Lithuanian leader emphasized that Ukrainians had proved that the country belongs to the European Union and now continued to defend European democracy with their blood. Therefore, the task of the European community, he said, was to help Ukrainians carry out all the necessary reforms to join the EU.
"Ukrainians are defending freedom and democratic European values with their blood. Ukraine belongs to the European Union. Ukrainians have proven this in many ways. And our task is to help Ukrainians carry out all the necessary reforms to join the European Union...I welcome your statement, Madam President (Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament - ed.), on Ukraine's accession negotiations. We should aim to start these membership negotiations this year," Nausėda said.
The Lithuanian President noted that more and more European politicians and experts realized that Russia wass a long-term threat, and therefore it is important to properly prepare for "reliable deterrence." He emphasized the importance of continuing sanctions against Russia and bringing the Russian leadership to justice for its crimes in Ukraine.
"Sanctions should be painful," Nauseda added.
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