The United Kingdom and Lithuania signed a joint agreement Monday to strengthen defense and security cooperation, bolstering London's backing for countries troubled about Russian aggression and endeavors to alter European boundaries.
Since Russia started its attacks on Ukraine on February 24, Baltic republics like Lithuania, a NATO member, and a former Soviet state, have been more worried that they may be Moscow's next target.
The declaration, according to Britain, would strengthen NATO allies' defense cooperation and improve response to threats such as those posed by Russia and China. There were no more details provided as per Reuters.
The United Kingdom and Lithuania have both displayed remarkable support for their Ukrainian friend in its valiant fight for sovereignty.
British Foreign Minister Liz Truss said, "The UK and Lithuania are two countries which belief in freedom and sovereignty, and who stand up to authoritarian regimes in Europe and across the world,"
"We stand together with Ukraine in the face of Russia's illegal, barbaric war," Truss noted in a statement.
Two Nations Celebrate 100 Years of Friendship
Their signing of a Joint Declaration commemorates 100 years of bilateral ties and advances the UK's global network of liberty, per a report from the UK government's official website.
The declaration will expand on the nations' present defense cooperation as NATO partners and strengthen opposition to challenges such as those posed by Russia and China.
In a historic address at Mansion House last month, the Foreign Secretary singled out Lithuania as a country that China has attempted to intimidate economically. Truss applauded Lithuania for resisting the pressure.
Lithuania Calls for "Coalition of the Willing" To Address Grain Problems
Meanwhile, during the talks in London, Lithuania has also called for a naval coalition "of the willing" to lift the Russian Black Sea blockade on Ukrainian grain exports.
The Lithuanian foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, proposed the plan as the region is "closing in on a new harvest and there is no practical way of exporting the grain except through the Black Sea port of Odesa."
He told The Guardian: "There is no way of storing this grain and no other adequate alternative route. It is imperative that we show vulnerable countries we are prepared to take the steps that are needed to feed the world."
Landsbergis recommended that a non-NATO naval escort operation protect the grain ships as they passed through the Black Sea and past Russian forces. Apart from the United Kingdom, he said that nations concerned by the possible loss of grain, such as Egypt, may provide the required security.
The worst is yet to come in the next five to seven weeks when the first harvest arrives, and there is no place to put it, so that means people in northern Africa," he warned, adding that the regions of the Middle East and Southeast Asia are going to suffer from "exorbitant prices for wheat, corn and the other commodities they need."
If Ukrainian grain is not exported, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned "hurricane of hunger" may happen.
Ukraine and Russia supply a third of the wheat consumed by the world's 41 least developed countries. Egypt's inflation has reached its highest level since mid-2019 due to rising food costs.
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