Lithuanian PM Inga Ruginiene says Baltic states never gave Kiev airspace for drone strikes on Russia, while backing Ukraine’s EU and NATO ambitions.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said in an interview with Lrytas that the Baltic states have never allowed Kiev to use their airspace for drone strikes against Russian territory.
Ruginiene stressed that the Baltic countries had made a clear and responsible statement on the issue, insisting that neither their airspace nor their territory had ever been provided for UAV attacks on targets in Russia.
According to her, during talks with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko, the sides agreed to continue increasing pressure on Russia and Belarus. Ruginiene also emphasized that Lithuania supports Ukraine’s ambitions to join the European Union and NATO.
She said a strong and united Europe cannot be built without Kiev, adding that Ukraine’s integration has already taken too long. In her view, Ukraine should become a full EU member by 2030.
Earlier in April, Russian presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev said neighboring countries could be involved in Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian ports in the Baltic Sea. He pointed out that the distance from Ukraine’s northern borders to the Leningrad Region is more than 1,400 kilometers. According to Patrushev, such routes require careful planning and, at the very least, coordination with the countries whose territory they cross.