Sanctions are one the ways to pressure Russia, and they are unsufficient, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said during an interview with Die Presse.
"There is one more option – political isolation. But I can’t realize why it has not been used so far. I don’t mean that all contacts must be suspended. Some of them – on the working level – have to be maintained. But I can’t understand why high-profile meetings are held with no reason and no results. It looks like the situation is normal," Linkevicius said.
The minister also stated that Lithuania is interested in an increased presence of the US Armed Forces on its territory.
He also said that Europe must maintain the balance of nuclear capabilities.
Relations between Russia and Western countries significantly deteriorated over Moscow’s alleged involvement in the Ukrainian crisis. In mid-March 2014, the US, the European Union, Australia, New Zealand and Canada imposed a number of restrictive measures against Russia, including individual travel restrictions and suspension of cooperation with Russia and Russian organizations in different fields.
In response, Russia imposed a ban on food imports from the US, EU countries, Canada, Australia and Norway.
Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations saying it is not a party in the Donbass conflict. Russia has officially played the role of mediator in the negotiations and is interested in a peaceful solution to the crisis.
