BRUSSELS – Speaking with POLITICO’s Playbook, Linas Antanas Linkevičius, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, has questioned the European Union’s enlargement policy by pointing out that some countries that share basic EU foreign policy goals, such as Ukraine, do not have a membership perspective, while others are implementing membership negotiations while at the same time conducting military exercises with Russia on EU’s borders.
Clearly hinting at Serbia, which has held numerous military exercises with Russia, Linkevičius said that “some countries enjoy enlargement negotiations, while conducting military exercises with Russia near our borders, while other, highly motivated countries, facing sovereignty and military threats, are not even given membership perspective”.
Linkevičius said that the European Union’s policies should be based on “common goals, not internal politics”.