Speaking to Newsweek on the sidelines of the Copenhagen Republic Summit in the Danish capital on Friday, Simonite said she was more concerned about President Vladimir Putin’s apparent imperial ambitions than the actions of fringe members of the lower house of the Duma. . “I do not think we should overreact to this, because it is a specific member of the Duma, especially for United Russia,” Simonite said of Yevgeny Fyodorov, a member of the ruling United Russia party who submitted the proposed legislation. “Even legally, this is nonsense,” Simonite explained. “We have different sets of agreements that have established relations between the Lithuanian state and the Russian Federation.” “What he is trying to do is the same as asking my parliament to revoke a 17th-century treaty concluded between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Moscow at the time,” he said. “I think it’s too much of a reaction to talk too much about it. I don’t think it’s the most interesting sign this week,” he added. “It simply came to our notice then [interesting] “listening to what Putin was saying about Peter the Great.” The Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrida onimonytė speaks during the Copenhagen Republic Summit at The Royal Danish Playhouse in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 10 June 2022. PHILIP DAVALI / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images Šimonytė was referring to the president’s statements on Thursday, when he compared himself to an 18th-century tsar whose reign was marked by imperial expansion to the east and west. Among his conquests were parts of the modern Baltic and Scandinavian nations. “Peter the Great fought the great war of the North for 21 years. It seems that he was at war with Sweden, he took something from them. He took nothing from them, he returned [what was Russia’s]”Putin said after visiting a report on the tsar. “It seems to be our place to return [what is Russia’s] and strengthen [the country]The president added, referring to Moscow ‘s invasion of Ukraine; Newsweek contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment.
Ukraine’s ambitions for the EU
Simonite spoke at the fifth annual Copenhagen summit shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared in a video in the main hall, urging Western leaders to withdraw Kyiv from the “gray zone” between the European Union and Russia. A decision to grant Ukraine candidate status – a key step on the road to full membership – would be “historic”, the president said. The European Commission is currently preparing an analysis of Ukraine’s suitability and is expected to present its assessment sometime in June. It will then be up to the Member States to decide how to proceed. In May, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said that all major EU countries except Italy were opposed to granting candidate status to Ukraine. This week, Bloomberg reported that the Netherlands and Denmark were among the rest. Simonite – firmly behind Ukraine’s EU ambitions along with its Baltic counterparts – told Newsweek on Friday that there is still no consensus in the 27-nation bloc. “I hope so,” he said when asked if Ukraine would have enough support to join the other five nations – most in the Western Balkans – that have been on the list for years. Indeed, several EU leaders have cited these existing candidate countries as a reason not to speed up Ukraine’s accession bid. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in March that he was wary of upsetting the delicate balance in the Western Balkans, while German Chancellor Olaf Solz said it would be unfair to give Ukraine priority over the current candidates. “There are opinions that it may be too early, this is not in line with the rules, this also conflicts with the approach to the Western Balkans, which I find pathetic,” Simonite said. “The situation there is not good for us. Both the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership are equally important in this process,” the prime minister said, referring to the EU initiative to monitor ties with post-Soviet Armenia. and Azerbaijan. , Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. Simonite said EU support for Ukraine’s accession was both a strategic decision and a “moral obligation”. She explained: “We see people really dying for these values enshrined in European law. “I know that for many countries, it seems very strange because the country is at war. And you start a process that the country may not be able to face because it has the most imminent things to do.” But candidate status, the prime minister said, is not the same as full membership, which could take many years. “Starting negotiations is a long process,” Simonite explained. “If they do not work, then the answer is clear. So I see very limited risks in reality.” Ukrainian tankers fire at frontline positions near the city of Soledar in the Donetsk region on June 10, 2022. Heavy fighting continues in the east of the country as Kyiv calls for more international assistance. ANATOLII STEPANOV / AFP via Getty Images Further enlargement of the EU is a politically divisive concept, hence the long delays in the bids of the current candidate countries. Some nations believe that previous expansions were made very quickly, paving the way for mass immigration, corruption and political strife – citing, for example, Brussels’ confrontations with Hungary and Poland. However, the Russian invasion provoked an increase in pan-European support for Ukraine. An April poll found that 66 percent of EU citizens believe Ukraine should be able to join the bloc when it is ready. This could mean many years in the future, but the granting of candidate status to Kyiv would also not link Brussels to any imminent accession. “There are some countries that are still skeptical about the latest enlargements,” onimonytė said. “I find it confusing, because it is not typical for a politician not to follow what your people say. And I think the support for that in societies – even in the Netherlands, and even in France – is huge.” “Of course, it is for a politician to be a little more insightful,” he added. “And sometimes explain to your audience something that is not obvious.” Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, told Newsweek in May that she believed the Commission’s assessment of Ukraine’s suitability could win over skeptical nations. Onimonytė agreed that analysis could be crucial. Putin’s crisis tactics The war in eastern Ukraine has resulted in a battle of high losses, with massive Russian forces making marginal gains with the help of overwhelming artillery fire. However, the Russian advance on Donbas is far from the “thunder” war plan that the Kremlin seemed to be hoping to occupy Kyiv in a few days in late February. Isolated from sanctions, facing an economic crisis and battling a costly and complicated war, the Kremlin seems to be trying to take advantage of the impending global food crisis caused by the collapse of grain and fertilizer exports from Russia and Ukraine, both are world leaders in such exports — to force the West to ease its economic measures. “There are some points of danger that Putin would greatly exploit if we are not careful enough,” Simonite warned. “If there is a risk that millions of people will not be able to buy a loaf of bread in Africa or the Middle East, then of course there will be too much pressure in the West and too much speculation from Putin that this is the fault of the Western nations and Ukraine. “Although Putin is to blame for everything.” Journalists and residents stand as smoke rises after a Russian attack on Odessa, Ukraine, on April 3, 2022. The unblocking of the Black Sea port has become a key target for those seeking to avoid a global food crisis. BULENT KILIC / AFP via Getty Images Talks are under way to create a safe passage for Ukrainian ships exporting grain through the Black Sea, which is currently not possible due to Russian and Ukrainian mines, as well as the risk of Russian missile, naval and air attacks. Kyiv is resisting calls to mine the waters around the main port of Odessa, which remains under Ukrainian control but is a top strategic target for Moscow. Sergiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the regional administration, explained: “Once we clear the access to the port of Odessa, the Russian fleet will be there.” Ukraine’s partners in the West have proposed armed naval escorts or expanded arms support against ships as a means of preventing such a situation. Šimonytė said on Friday that the solution was a top priority. “This need for a solution to unblock Odessa and deliver the wheat to the people who need it is, I think, the key right now, in addition to military support in Ukraine,” he explained. “If there are significant coastal security measures that reduce the risks, I think yes, there could be a plan,” he added, referring to an apparent reference to anti-ship missiles and other equipment. Simonite, meanwhile, said the nations of the EU and NATO should be wary of Russian misinformation at a time of rising inflation and economic uncertainty. “These other risks are rising prices in western countries, why [Putin] will use all these propaganda channels, Facebook groups and crazy people on YouTube and say: “This is because of your stupid government that you pay these high prices, not because I invaded a country, not because I manipulate …
