DOPESHEET
German FM Steinmeier while visiting Lithuania on Thursday told sanctions on Russia is linked with Minsk agreement implementation.
Frank Walter Steinmeier held talks in Vilnius with his Lithuanian counterpart Linas Linkevicius focused on NATO July summit in Warsaw.
‘All those expectations that are risen, we would not try to avoid them’, said Steinmeier referring to Baltic countries requests for more security measures against Russia.
‘In principle, we are happy about this process while preparing for Warsaw summit’, concluded Linkevicius.
Spooked by Russia's actions, the eastern European states have lobbied the Slliance to increase its presence, and Lithuanian defense ministry said last month that Germany plans forming a NATO battalion group in the country.
Steinmeier said NATO will discuss additional deployments at the July summit in Poland, without elaborating.
He also told Baltic News Service that the EU is facing difficult talks on extending sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine due to the increased resistance of some member states. But during his presser Steinmeier repeated that current EU sanctions on Russia's banking, defence and energy sectors are linked with implementing Minsk agreement over eastern Ukraine.
The sanctions will have to be extended in July and it will require a unanimous vote.
SHOTLIST
Steinmeier said NATO will discuss additional deployments at the July summit in Poland, without elaborating.
Sound bite (Lithuanian), LINAS LINKEVICIUS, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs: One battalion cannot defend nor Lithuanian nor any other country, there is a whole system, and everything goes smoothly while waiting for Warsaw summit, there are more presence of our Allies in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, on the ground, air and sea. All this is happening in the context of all system. NATO units have this aim to have a security guarantees and nor their imitations, in principle, we are happy about this process while preparing for Warsaw summit.
Sound bite (German), FRANK WALTER STEINMEIER, German Minister of Foreign Affairs: All those expectations that are risen, we would not try to avoid them, at the moment there are no final solution in Germany considering Warsaw summit, we have 6 weeks left, and all those decisions we be made on time.
Sound bite (German), FRANK WALTER STEINMEIER, German Minister of Foreign Affairs: My attention is put not on sanctions, but more on implementation on Minsk agreement. We cannot just cancel the sanctions, these are connected with implementation of Minsk agreement.
Sound bite (Lithuanian), LINAS LINKEVICIUS, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs: There are no reason to cancel sanctions. I would like to remind that this is the only measure of pressure and it was adopted, because Russia does not implement Minsk agreement. We of course welcome some positive signs, especially that Nadiya Savchenko became free, she was exchanged, it was not a unilateral action. These are positive signs, but I want to stress that this is not connected with Minsk agreement implementation in general.
Sound bite (German), FRANK WALTER STEINMEIER, German Minister of Foreign Affairs: Germany was one of the first countries that took part in implementing reassuring measures to Eastern Allies.
