The President and the new Head of the Representation discussed the aggression of Russia and Belarus against Ukraine and its impact on European policy, its formation and implementation. The meeting placed special focus on support for Ukraine.
“The EU has done a lot to help Ukraine fight for its freedom and democratic values. But that is not enough. We must grant Ukraine EU candidate status, provide all the support it needs, including for defense, and demand that Russian troops withdraw from the nuclear power plants they have seized and that the safety of these nuclear power plants be guaranteed by international organizations responsible for nuclear safety. We must also continue to toughen individual and sectoral sanctions against Russia and Belarus, extending them to all sectors and suspending the activities of these countries in all international organizations,” the President said.
Gitanas Nausėda and Marius Vaščega also discussed ways and means to increase the defense capabilities of EU countries, reduce their energy dependence on Russia and boost the EU’s economic resilience.
The meeting put particular emphasis on the priorities of the 2022 European Commission’s Work Programme: the European Green Deal, the Digital Agenda, the improvement of the economic well-being of EU citizens, the security of EU countries, including energy security, and the promotion of the European way of life and democracy.