We're creating story we're fighters but we fail to deliver aid to Ukraine – Landsbergis

VILNIUS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has criticized the West for being too slow in delivering aid to Ukraine as it continues to fight against Russian aggression.

"We are creating the narrative, the story to tell our citizens that we are fighters for what's good, but when it comes to deliveries, the story sometimes is very different," he told reporters in Brussels ahead of EU foreign ministers' informal meeting on Thursday.

The meeting will be also attended by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba who will brief his EU counterparts on the front line situation.

Last night, Russia attacked a number of regions in Ukraine, with the Ukrainian Air Force saying that the shot down two Russian missiles and 60 attack drones.

This is the third mass attack against Ukraine this week.

"Once again, we have to ask ourselves a question whether we ourselves are not a part of this problem. So far, no Patriot batteries that have been promised in Washington have been delivered. No new ammunition packages have been delivered since June, out of the F-16s that have been delivered, they have started using just a couple of them," Lithuania's top diplomat said.

He also sited "rough calculations" that Russia is capable of carried out six similar attacks on Ukraine, using the money it received from the sale of oil and gas to the European Union.

"Taking into account that its not just gas and oil that we are buying. So, I'm asking again whether we part of the problem?" Landsbergis said.

According to the minister, talks with the Ukrainians have revealed that part of the aid promised to them last year will not be delivered until 2027.

Germany's plans to cut military aid to Ukraine next year have also caused concern among allies. Its latest draft budget includes around 4 billion euros for Ukraine next year, down from around 8 billion euros in 2024.

Germany is the second largest provider of aid to Ukraine after the United States.

"The Ukrainians are worried, the Eastern flank is worried because we all understand if the Ukrainians do not get the assistance they were promised, it opens the door for Putin to continue," Landsbergis said.

EU foreign ministers traditionally meet for informal meetings every six months in the country holding the rotating EU presidency and were due to meet in Budapest. However, following Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's visits to Moscow and Beijing in July, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell decided to move the meeting to Brussels.

According to the Lithuanian foreign minister, such a decision sends a clear signal that European countries do not share Hungary's policy.