“It deserves political monitoring, political response. One such thing we do is we raise questions in the North Atlantic Council through ambassadors in Brussels or at ministerial meetings,” G. Landsbergis told reporters on Friday after a meeting with Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže.
“On the one hand, we have to find a way to counter (the challenges – ELTA) – it could be sanctions, if we know the people behind these actions. But we don’t have to stop here – there could be additional measures. (…) It is very important to send a message to Moscow as well – that they do not operate in the gray zone. One of the things democracy gives us is transparency. If they expect us to be silent, they will not achieve it,” he assured.
G. Landsbergis noted that the intelligence institutions of the Baltic countries cooperate closely in order to ensure security in the region and avoid GPS disturbances. However, he urges these incidents to be seen in a wider context.
“There has been a transition from previously applied hybrid attacks to diversionary operations using kinetic actions – violations of critical infrastructure, GPS signal blocking, attacks against supporters of Ukraine,” the minister said.
“We have to look at it in a wider context. Recently, we have been experiencing various hybrid actions, a growing number of such hybrid actions from Russia – GPS interference is one of them,” said the minister.
G. Landsbergiis was seconded by the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, who was publicized in Vilnius. According to her, such GPS jamming is not a new tool in hybrid warfare. However, the politician noted, the possible consequences of such incidents are worrying.
“There are several aspects. This is civil aviation – in the case of Latvia we had no problem dealing with it. (…). The general security aspect – who did it, how it affects us – is another angle. We are in close contact with the security agencies on this matter,” said B. Bražė during the press conference.
“This is not a new phenomenon, but it is creating consequences that are worrying,” she added.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania warned last month that Russia’s widespread GPS jamming increases the threat of aviation incidents.
Recently, there has been an increase in targeted disruptions to GPS satellite navigation in Estonia. The authorities of the state on the Baltic Sea say that GPS signal interference is transmitted from Russian territory, the problem worsened for Russia in 2022. after invading Ukraine in February.
Last month, Finnair said it was suspending flights to the Estonian city of Tartu until May 31 due to GPS glitches, forcing two of its flights to turn back to Helsinki.
Landsbergis: the difficult situation in Ukraine is not always reflected in the EU’s discussions on sanctions against Russia
The Minister of Foreign Affairs G. Landsbergis states that the current sanctions proposed by the European Union (EU) against Russia do not reflect the war situation in Ukraine. According to him, the current difficult situation of the Ukrainian forces does not affect the tone of the EU towards Moscow.
“When we talk about sanctions, in most cases, at the beginning of the war, they often responded to the situation at the front. As the front deteriorated, they became stricter, the tone of the EU became stronger. Ukrainians themselves admit that the current situation is the most difficult since the beginning of the war. However, this is not always reflected in the official statements of the EU”, said G. Landsbergis on Friday during the press conference of the foreign ministers of Lithuania and Latvia.
“It’s like we’re reconciled, like we’re used to the situation,” he added.
The minister assured that it is necessary to take into account the situation in Ukraine when discussing exceptions or concessions to sanctions.
“It is necessary to assess the situation adequately. And when we are looking for any exemptions from the sanctions. Let’s pay attention to what is happening in Ukraine. And is it really morally right and is it time to look for exemptions, exemptions, deferrals and so on,” he argued.
Foreign Ministers of Latvia and Lithuania on the situation in Sakartvel: we must say where the chosen path leads
Although the Baltic states actively support Sakartveli’s transatlantic integration, the foreign ministers of Latvia and Lithuania assure that the so-called “foreign agents” law, which ignited mass protests, can prevent these plans of Tbilisi. The head of the country’s diplomacy, Gabrielius Landsbergis, indicates that it is intended to meet with representatives of the Sakartveli authorities and to openly express the position regarding the law, which is to be adopted as early as next week.
“Since the first days (…), when Sakartvelo’s goal of achieving transatlantic membership was established, the Baltic States – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – have stood together. During difficult years, during easier years, we were happy together, we were sad together, we helped each step of the way,” G. Landsbergis told reporters on Friday after a meeting with Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže.
“But now (…) a little more is required from friends. The closest friends are those who would honestly tell you where the chosen path leads,” he said.
The politician reiterated that the decisions that the Parliament of Sakartvel intends to make are not compatible with the further membership of the country in the European Union (EU).
“There are plans to have meetings with representatives of the Sakartveli authorities and to say this openly,” said G. Landsbergis.
For her part, G. Landsbergi’s colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, seconded and noted that the Baltic states must be very open when assessing the current situation in Tbilisi.
“I think the Baltic countries are sufficiently united in their position. We are supporters of Sakartvel’s democracy and integration into Euro-Atlantic organizations, we provided them with practical advice and support during the administration of various governments,” she told reporters.
“We are quite open that the course of the adoption of the law and the suppression of protests endanger the European future of Sarkartvel. As friends, we must be involved and supportive, but also very open in assessing the current situation,” B. Bražė noted during the press conference.
