Baltic foreign ministers visit Ukraine

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The foreign minister of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania visited Ukraine on May 6.
The foreign minister of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania visited Ukraine on May 6. Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister of Foreign Affairs Eva-Maria Liimets (Center) is visiting Ukraine on Friday along with her counterparts from Latvia and Lithuania.

The ministers made an unannounced trip to the country where they were shown around areas that had seen fierce fighting.

Liimets said the visit shows: "[U]nwavering support to the people of Ukraine & discuss more ways we can help Ukraine who is fighting for its freedom & sovereignty, but also for the democratic values."

The minister last jointly visited Ukraine on February 23 and were in the country when Russia attacked Ukraine the following day.

Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkevics said the trio were there to complete their interrupted visit.

Lithuanian minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said "rebuilding, restoration, and the EU candidate status" would be discussed during the visit to Kyiv.

"Blooming Kyiv reminds [us] that the country is ready for a bright future," he said.

Since the start of the war, officials from all three Baltic countries, including their presidents, have regularly visited Ukraine.

Zelenskyy: Baltics are Ukraine's most 'reliable friends'

The meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Baltic foreign ministers in Kyiv on May 6, 2022. Source: Office of the President of Ukraine.

They also met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday afternoon who called Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania Ukraine's most reliable allies and thanked them for their strong support.

"You are our closest and most reliable friends, because you were the first to support Ukraine from the very beginning of this war, from the very beginning of the threat from the Russian Federation. You supported us with both weapons and your actions in diplomacy. Your people, the population supported us in all aspects and in all directions," Zelenskyy said.

He stressed Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are the best advocates of Ukraine both in the European Union and in the whole world.

The Baltic foreign ministers underscored their support for Ukraine's European integration aspirations. They also offered to help Ukraine rebuild the social infrastructure destroyed by the war, including schools and kindergartens.

During the meeting, special attention was paid to the importance of increasing sanctions on the Russian Federation on the part of the EU and the entire international community.

Zelenskyy noted the leading role of the Baltic states in this direction and stressed: "It is extremely important not only to increase sanctions pressure, but also to maintain the integrity of sanctions. They must be as effective as possible. We must not allow the aggressor to circumvent them and continue to finance the criminal war against Ukraine."

Editor's note: This article was updated to add comments from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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Editor: Helen Wright

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