The Lithuanian president calls for tougher EU sanctions against Russia

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda expressed strong criticism of the European Union over insufficient sanctions against the Russian Federation. In an interview with the German publication Bild, Nauseda insisted on the complete exclusion of all Russian banks that still have access to the international payment system SWIFT, stressing that this is a "necessary step to preserve the authority of Europe". According to him, if this does not happen, Europe will be perceived as weak and will encourage the Kremlin for further escalation.

Among the specific proposals of the Lithuanian president for the next, 18th sanctions package of the EU, are: full isolation of the so-called "dark fleet" of Russia, sanctions against the main structures financing the war such as "Gazprom", "Rosatom", "Lukoil" and the operators of the "Nord Stream" pipeline. According to Nauseda, these companies continue to fill the military treasury of the Kremlin and must be completely removed from European markets and financial mechanisms.

Nauseda stressed that any delay or exception in the sanctions policy is perceived by the Kremlin as a signal of weakness and encouragement for further escalation. The Lithuanian president called on the EU to take decisive action to preserve its authority and exert effective pressure on Russia.