It would not be correct to comment on every statement made by US President Donald Trump, said Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa at a press-conference after her meeting with her Lithuanian colleague Gintautas Paluckas.
Answering the question as to whether Latvia and Lithuania should try to convince the US President, who is trying to restore relations with Russia, to change his beliefs, Paluckas said it is not possible not to react to this.
The Lithuanian PM said the main thing is understanding countries’ interests and looking at them in a “new light”. Paluckas admitted that Baltic States, Poland and Nordic Countries have the right to speak of these issues and hope the region’s joint interests will be respected.
Siliņa said that with Trump’s administration taking office, Europe needs to prepare to face new challenges. Europe, said the Latvian PM, needs to be united.
“If we divide in bilateral formats, Europe becomes weaker,” said Siliņa, adding that this is why it is good that Baltic States and NB8 do not allow themselves to be divided and instead remain together as a single region.
Siliņa said she and her Lithuanian colleague agreed on Thursday to work together on improving transatlantic relations.
“It’s clear there will be new situations every day. And it would definitely not be correct to comment on every statement made by the US president,” said the Latvian PM.
“I believe that [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy is a democratically elected president, he is the leader of Ukraine and Russia invaded Ukraine; they started the war,” said Siliņa.
On Wednesday, the 19th of February, US President Donald Trump issued a new rebuke to Ukraine’s president, calling him a dictator on the social network Truth Social.
Trump surprised both Ukraine and European allies last Wednesday by saying he had a “long and extremely productive” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which they agreed to “immediately” start talks on ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron then gathered leaders of the most influential European countries in Paris on Monday, the 17th of February, to discuss the situation in Ukraine and European security.
Trump’s actions and statements have raised concerns in Ukraine and the West that Washington could force Kyiv to accept a ceasefire on Moscow’s terms, and the US-Russia talks in Riyadh have only heightened those concerns.