Lithuanian President Urges “Molotov Cocktail”-Level Sanctions in 18th EU Package Against Russia

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has issued a strong call for the European Union to adopt its most robust sanctions yet against the Russian Federation, warning that weak measures are undermining both Europe’s credibility and its support for Ukraine.

The Gaze reports on this with reference to Bild.

Nausėda criticized the EU’s failure to deliver on promises of harsh punitive actions against Moscow. He argued that past sanctions lacked the decisiveness needed to cripple Russia’s war economy and were often circumvented with the help of third countries.

“We have declared support for Ukraine many times, promising fighter jets, long-range missiles, and ammunition. But we haven’t been able to deliver on those promises,” Nausėda said. “That undermines not just the sanctions, but the credibility of all our actions toward Russia.”

Nausėda emphasized the need for the upcoming 18th package of EU sanctions to break from this pattern of symbolic measures. 

Using a striking metaphor, he said the sanctions should be like a “Molotov cocktail” – urgent, fiery, and impossible to ignore. He called for sweeping restrictions targeting the financial and energy sectors that continue to fund the Kremlin’s war machine.

Specifically, he proposed disconnecting all remaining Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system, blacklisting all vessels associated with Russia’s shadow fleet used to circumvent oil sanctions, and imposing sanctions on key Russian energy giants such as Gazprom, Rosatom, Lukoil, and those linked to the Nord Stream pipeline.

Failure to act decisively, Nausėda warned, would send a dangerous signal that the EU is unwilling to take risks to defend its principles. “Otherwise, we will be seen as weak, and Russia will believe that Europe is not prepared to make courageous decisions,” he said.

Underscoring the broader threat posed by Moscow, Nausėda stated it is “more than obvious” that Russia’s ambitions extend beyond Ukraine, posing a serious danger to the entire region. 

He urged NATO allies to contribute more actively to the alliance’s collective defense and praised Germany’s decision to station a Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania, calling it an essential component of the country’s national security strategy.

As The Gaze reported earlier, the foreign affairs committees of the parliaments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have issued a joint statement expressing their full support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, as well as for its membership in the European Union and NATO.