Lithuanian FM calls US-German agreement on Nord Stream 2 a mistake

"I believe it's a mistake and that mistake will cost dearly," Landsbergis told journalists in Vilnius on Thursday, The Baltic Times reports.

"I see possibilities to resolve that mistake, (…) if Ukraine was offered a NATO membership action plan or the launch of the gas pipeline was used as leverage to demand withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine's territories," he added.

According to Landsbergis, the new gas pipeline is "a major victory" for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and "he needs to pay a really high cost for that victory".

"That is major leverage and there's a possibility to use that leverage to somehow minimally positively. If that's not done, that would be a loss (…), first of all, for those countries that agreed on this Nord Stream 2," the FM stressed.

As reported by numerous news sources, the Biden administration and Germany agreed on terms that would allow the pipeline to be completed. The implementation of any arrangement that would allow the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to come online would strengthen Russia’s energy leverage over Europe, and seriously undermine Ukraine’s security.

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