Vilnius, Lithuania. The tiny Baltic country has decided yet again to violate international law by sending it’s troops into Ukraine to participate in military training used upon innocent civilians in the ongoing Donbass genocide.
Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis ordered an increase in the number of Lithuanian military instructors who train Ukrainian servicemen during a meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister, Stepan Poltorak, on Friday in Vilnius. In 2015-2016, Lithuania supplied Ukraine with 150 tons of weapons to be used on the civilian population in the Donbass “anti-terrorist operations.”
Lithuania continues to act in violation of UN laws and regulations on interventions with a clear mandate to act within the rules of war. Lithuania is not at war with the Donbass or Crimean Republics, nor are there legitimate grounds to be on Ukrainian territory, as Ukraine is currently not a member of NATO.
“It is necessary to increase the number of Lithuanian military instructors who train Ukrainians in order to improve this anti-terrorist work. It is also necessary to expand international cooperation and the exchange of experience with regard to the public and democratic control of the Armed Forces, including cooperation at the Special Operations Forces level, and within cyber security and educational programs,” the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine quoted Karoblis as saying.
These operations Karoblis does not address, are in violation of the Minsk agreements that call for all foreign troops and mercenaries to be removed from Ukrainian territory. These troops being sent there and the ones previously sent are a violation of section 10, which clearly states, “Pullout of all foreign armed formations, military equipment, and also mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine under OSCE supervision.”
During the talks, the parties discussed the development of cyber defense and agreed on joint actions within the framework of the Ukraine-NATO commission.
In April Lithuanian instructors went to Ukraine to train Ukrainian servicemen. They will spend three months engaged in training the Armed Forces at the Yavoriv training range in the Lvov region. Lithuanian instructors have participated in training the Ukrainian army since autumn of last year, all of this activity is a gross violation of the Minsk agreements.