VILNIUS — Russia said on Friday it had formally complained to Lithuania that the Baltic country's supply of weapons to Ukraine violated its international arms trade commitments.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia — part of the Soviet Union for much of the last century — worry that Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for rebels in Ukraine may be a foretaste of it reasserting itself in other former Soviet territories.
"The Russian ministry of foreign affairs has pointed out that such supplies represent a direct violation of Lithuania's legal commitments in the area of export of armaments," the Russian embassy in Lithuania's capital of Vilnius said.
Russia said Lithuania was violating the international Arms Trade Treaty as well as European Union and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe agreements.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said that Lithuania has supplied weapons to Ukraine this year but had not violated any agreements.
"We have supplied help to the Ukrainian army in small quantities and openly, and yet we are reprimanded by the country that continually supplies arms to the conflict in Ukraine, in non-symbolic quantities, and denies doing so," Linkevicius commented on the complaint, sent in a letter from the Russian Foreign Ministry to the Lithuanian Embassy in Moscow.
Lithuania said this week that it plans to restart military conscription to address its growing concerns about Russian assertiveness in the Baltic region.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.