Baltic foreign ministers on 'solidarity' visit to Ukraine
The Baltic states foreign ministers will visit Kyiv on Thursday in a show of solidarity and to get a thorough understanding of the Russian military build-up on Ukraine's eastern border.
A spokesperson for the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday the ministers were invited to Kyiv by Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba.
"The purpose of the visit is to confirm Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania's solidarity with Ukraine in the context of the destabilizing activities of the Russian Federation, to show support to Ukraine and to get a thorough overview of the situation," the spokesperson said.
The ministers will discuss practical steps to support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, strengthen security cooperation and promote the country's European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkevics tweeted a picture of the ministers at Vilnius Airport on Thursday morning, writing the visit will show "support and solidarity with Ukraine".
With my Estonian and Lithuanian colleagues @eliimets and @GLandsbergis in #Vilnius before departure to #Kyiv to show support and solidarity with #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/w4vckOmdEI
— Edgars Rinkēvičs (@edgarsrinkevics) April 15, 2021
In recent weeks, Russia has mobilized a large number of troops on the border between Ukraine and occupied Crimea, which has increased concerns about a possible new conflict.
The U.S. estimates there are now at least as many troops on Ukraine's eastern border as there were in 2014 at the beginning of the occupation of Crimea.
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Editor: Helen Wright
