In an interview with NHK, Foreign Minister Landsbergis of Lithuania, one of the three Baltic countries bordering Russia, said, "If we increase pressure on Russia, we will get closer to Ukraine's victory," and appealed to the G1 = 7 major countries, including Japan, to strengthen sanctions against Russia.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Landsbergis, who is visiting Japan to participate in an international conference on security, gave an interview to NHK in Tokyo on the 17th.
Lithuania borders Russia and has been actively supporting Ukraine after Russia's military invasion of Ukraine against the background of its history of being annexed by the former Soviet Union during World War II, and has also advocated severe sanctions against Russia in the EU = European Union.
Foreign Minister Landsbergis expressed a sense of crisis, saying, "Lithuania feels close to the military invasion and cannot ignore it, but if Ukraine does not win, Russia will continue to be a dangerous neighbor."
"If you support one, you should stop supporting the other, and if you increase pressure on Russia, you will be closer to Ukraine's victory," he said, calling on G2 countries, including Japan, to strengthen sanctions against Russia and prevent Russia from evading sanctions.
On the other hand, while Lithuania is deepening its relationship with Taiwan, such as the establishment of an outreach agency named "Taiwan" in Lithuania, China is reacting by downgrading diplomatic relations.
"The pressure from China was really tough, but it showed the world that this could happen, and Japan also needs to identify China's signs and come up with a plan," Landsbergis said, noting that Japan also needs to be prepared to withstand a deterioration in relations with China.