Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis: Ukraine withdrew Europe from captivity of illusions

Ukraine withdrew Europe from the captivity of illusions regarding the lack of threat to the borders of sovereign countries. Such an opinion was expressed by Prime Minister of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis during the 10th Kyiv Security Forum, organized by Arseniy Yatsenyuk Foundation Open Ukraine.

“For me, Ukraine is a country that forced to revise views that aggression is impossible nowadays”, he said. According to Saulius Skvernelis, even decades ago the free world believed that no one will assault the frontiers of other countries. “But now these illusions have been dispelled”, he said recalling the illegal annexation of the Crimea by Russia.

“Ukraine is a country that is on the verge of confrontation between the democratic world and the world of the past.  We thought that the past was gone, but no, the world of the past is still present”, the Prime Minister of Lithuania said.

Saulius Skvernelis said that the Balkan states as anyone else are concerned about the situation, because their citizens remember the tanks on the streets of their capitals in the near 1991. He recalled that Lithuania had provided and continues to provide assistance to Ukraine in the fight against the invader. "Any success of the Ukrainians is our success. We need more Ukrainians in Europe", he added.

“We support you on your way, go further ahead!”, referring to the Ukrainians Saulius Skvernelis concluded.

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Kyiv Security Forum was launched by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Foundation Open Ukraine in 2007 is an annual international event to high-level discussions on the current issues in the Black Sea region and wider Europe. The Forum aims at increasing security cooperation between the EU and the Black Sea region, raising awareness about regional developments among key regional players, promoting the role of independent and non-governmental actors in setting the security agenda in Europe.