WARSAW/VILNIUS (Reuters) – Leaders from Poland and Lithuania urged the European Union on Saturday to go additional of their help for Ukraine within the face of a Russian invasion, as they headed into a gathering with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated all sanctions in opposition to Russia must be on the desk, together with shutting the Nord Stream pipelines that provide Russian gasoline to Europe and halting its entry to the SWIFT world funds system.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda additionally stated it was necessary that Ukraine was supplied with “actual military help.”
Russian forces pounded Ukrainian cities with artillery and cruise missiles on Saturday for a 3rd day working however a defiant President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated the capital Kyiv remained in Ukrainian palms.
Poland and Lithuania each share borders with Russia and Belarus, whereas Poland additionally borders Ukraine.
“I got here to Berlin to shake the conscience of Germany in order that they might lastly determine on actually harsh sanctions that can affect the Kremlin’s choices,” Morawiecki informed reporters exterior Scholz’s workplace.
“We want to shut down Nord Stream 1 and a couple of, we want to reduce reliance on uncooked supplies, reduce off Russian monetary establishments from capital markets, confiscate property of oligarchs, shut off SWIFT for Russia… All sanctions in opposition to Russia must be on the desk.”
Speaking alongside Morawiecki, Nauseda stated he would ask Scholz to help giving Ukraine the standing of a EU candidate nation, and sending it important military help.
“I talked to Zelenskiy on the best way right here, and he stated that European perspective could be a big motivation to Ukrainians to combat for his or her and their kids future,” stated Nauseda.
“And it is crucial to present actual military help to Ukraine now. This is most necessary … we want a fast resolution,” he added.
(Reporting by Alicja Ptak in Warsaw and Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; Editing by Michael Kahn and Mark Potter)
