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On 19 January in Brussels, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius attended the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council. The main topics on the agenda were the EU’s relationship with Russia and the fight against terrorism. The Council also discussed climate change issue.

Minister Linkevičius underlined that so far there had been no reasons for changing EU policy with regard to Russia. The situation in eastern Ukraine remains tense. Minsk agreements are being constantly violated. The territory controlled by the separatists is expanding. The death of civilians in a bus near Volnovakha was especially tragic. Moreover, battles for the Donetsk airport continue.

“In respect of Russia, the EU should base its policy on the actual situation rather than illusions. We cannot dissociate prospects of the EU’s relationship with Russia from the situation in Ukraine. At first we must see Russia’s concrete steps to address the conflict in Ukraine, only then we will be able to discuss the normalisation of relations,” said Lithuania’s Foreign Minister.

Currently, the Minister also does not see opportunities to reduce the Russian sanctions. “The EU’s unity should be the stimuli that can make Russia change its policy. EU sanctions are effective, so we must be consistent and patient,” noted Lithuania’s Foreign Minister stressing that the European leaders would continue the debate on Russia and Ukraine in March.

The Council also discussed the need for the EU to take action against propaganda. They supported the document on the EU’s communication strategy to counter the Russian propaganda campaign signed by Lithuania and other countries (Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania and the United Kingdom). The document calls on EU institutions and EU member states to start fighting against Russia’s propaganda.

The Council also discussed the fight against terrorism in the light of the last week’s terrorist attacks in France. The Ministers stressed the necessity to step up cooperation with the Middle East and North Africa region in the fight against terrorism and to rapidly implement the EU counter terrorism/foreign fighters strategy, focusing on communication and prevention.

During the discussion on climate change, the Ministers stressed that the EU had to make every effort to tackle climate change in order to sign a universal binding climate change agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference in December 2015 in Paris.