EU countries respond with diplomatic measures to the massacre in the Kiev suburb of Bucha. On Monday, the Baltic Republic of Lithuania was the first member state to declare the Russian ambassador there as undesirable. In addition, a decision had been made to return the Lithuanian ambassador to Ukraine to Kiev, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Twitter.
“The brutality of the Russian occupation forces exceeded all standards of the civilized world,” Landsbergis said Monday. “Unfortunately, what the world sees in Butscha can only be the beginning. As more cities are liberated, we may see more signs of horrific war crimes.”
Will other countries follow suit?
It is eagerly awaited whether Lithuania will be followed by other countries. After the massacre became known, senior EU politicians promised further punitive measures against the Russian Federation. A diplomat’s declaration of “persona non grata” is one of the most severe sanctions in diplomatic relations. Mission heads are rarely affected by this measure, as it involves a degradation of diplomatic relations. Since the Russian ambassador has to leave the country, Russia is only represented by a chargé d’affaires in the neighboring country.
Like the other two Baltic states, Estonia and Latvia, Lithuania feels threatened by Russian aggression in Ukraine. It is also the only EU country that also borders Russia to the west, namely the Kaliningrad exclave. This can only be reached from Russia by sea and air or via a land corridor through Lithuania. The Baltic republics regained their independence in the early 1990s after being occupied by the Soviet Union during World War II.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
