Lithuania President: Double standards in assistance to Israel and Ukraine are unacceptable

Lithuanian President Nausėda criticizes the West for applying double standards in aiding Israel and supporting Ukraine, emphasizing the need for equal support for both nations.

Apr 18, 2024 - 15:15

Lithuania President: Double standards in assistance to Israel and Ukraine are unacceptable

Lithuania’s president, Gitanas Nausėda, deems the West’s double standards in aiding Israel and supporting Ukraine unacceptable. He expressed this view to Lithuanian journalists in Brussels on 17 April, LRT reports.

Iran conducted a major drone and missile strike against Israel on April 13-14. Israel and its allies intercepted most targets. In Ukraine, Russian attacks escalated, with depleted air defenses due to delayed US aid stalled by Republicans. The US and allies aided Israel in repelling 99% of drones and missiles, highlighting contrasting international support.

“It is unacceptable that we, as you rightly said, apply double standards. Our assistance to Israel certainly does not and should not compete with our attention to Ukraine,” Nausėda said. “I believe that if we are principled and really stand for democratic values, we should support both, and not calculate – we give one so much and the other so much.“

The Lithuanian President made these remarks after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plea for allies to demonstrate equivalent solidarity with Ukraine as shown following Iran’s attack on Israel, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba praised Israel and allies for repelling attacks and emphasized Ukraine’s need for similar support against Russian missile strikes.

After the Iranian attack on Israel, both the UK and the US stated that they would not directly engage in shooting down Iranian kamikaze drones in Ukraine, as they did during the recent attack on Israel.

The Lithuanian President added:

“In the end, our inability to deliver weapons and, above all, air defense systems costs lives every day. I am convinced that we are losing attention to Ukraine,” the President said, as per LRT.

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