The former Prime Minister of Lithuania: The EU should provide Ukraine with military support, the prospect of membership and ‘Marshall Plan’

The EU applies a wrong policy towards Russia trying not to provoke it. However, such approach, this weakness, abets the leadership of Russia to take further aggressive steps,” – said Andrius Kubilius, the Prime Minister of Lithuania (1999-2000, 2008-2012), during the 8th Kyiv Security Forum organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation.

“When I speak in other European capitals, it comes to the same rhetoric: we should not provoke Russia. Unfortunately, the mail element in the European strategy towards Russia is completely erroneous – not to provoke Russia. And this weak position of Europe on the contrary abets Russia to take further aggressive steps,” – he said.

According to the ex-PM of Lithuania, Europe faces a real threat of a new war on the European continent again. Therefore, all the necessary tools in the possession of the EU shall be employed to prevent it by providing full assistance to Ukraine.

“That’s why let us no longer provoke Russia with our weakness. That is our greatest challenge. Let us support Ukraine in its efforts to become a successful European country,” – said A.Kubilius. 

According to him, for this end the EU should take just “three certain steps”: “Three specific simple steps: military support of Ukraine, which is now facing not just internal rebels but is waging war against Putin’s aggression. The second is the prospect of the EU membership. And the third is a real ‘Marshall Plan’ for Ukraine”. As the Lithuanian politician said, if the EU decided to spend 3% of structural funds to help Ukraine, it would constitute 30 billion Euros and become a kind of the ‘Marshall Plan’ for Ukraine.

For your information:

The annual international event ‘Kyiv Security Forum’, established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation in 2007 is a platform to discuss the most pressing issues concerning the security in Europe and the Black Sea region. The Forum is aimed at promoting security cooperation between the European Union and the Black Sea Region, raising awareness of the development of security among key players and strengthening the role of independent and non-governmental actors in solving security problems in Europe.