On 3 March 2022 in Vilnius, Lithuania, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, met with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Estonia and Lithuania.
Edgars Rinkēvičs drew attention to the fact that Russia, failing with its initial plan of blitz war in Ukraine, was now launching more massive attacks that also wreck destruction on civilian infrastructure, and cause civilian deaths. The ministers were unanimous that mechanisms for enforcement of international law should be applied to hold Russia accountable for war crimes it had perpetrated.
The Western partners must forge ahead with a vast humanitarian aid effort as well as supplying lethal and non-lethal equipment for the needs of the Ukrainian armed forces, the Latvian Foreign Minister noted. In addition, he underlined that the involvement of Belarus in the war started by Russia meant that Belarus was an aggressor of the same kind and must be targeted by corresponding sanctions.
Edgars Rinkēvičs welcomed the strong position of the United Kingdom vis à vis Russia and Belarus, and assistance given to Ukraine; he pointed out that a strong and internationally coordinated diplomatic, political and economic pressure should be continued against the aggressor. The Minister also commended support provided by the UK and an increase in its military presence to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank.
In a bilateral exchange of views with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth Truss, the Minister emphasised that cooperation between the two countries in response to the aggression by Russia and Belarus was a vivid example of how to put in practice the Declaration on Bilateral Cooperation between Latvia and the United Kingdom signed in December 2021. In the context of global events, it is of special importance at this point to continue the successful cooperation on combating disinformation.
Photo: Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs