DISINFO: Lithuania is using Russophobia to attract attention to itself in big European politics
SUMMARY
The attitude of Lithuania to Russia is not a secret. The main initiators of sanctions in the EU traditionally are France and Germany. But any reason will be used in the EU to show an aggressive position against Russia, to implement new sanctions. It is not for the real political results. For Lithuania, it is the only way to feel important because the small states should in some ways represent themselves in big European politics to be visible. They try to attract attention to themselves using a Russophobic and aggressive anti-Russian agenda.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russophobia in Lithuania.
In this case, the narrative is linked to the statement of the President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda. He said that Lithuania will seek that the EU implemented additional sanctions on Russia if Moscow will not change aggressive behaviour. As the reason for the additional sanctions, the President of Lithuania mentioned the situation of human rights in Russia and aggressive policy against neighbours, i.e. concentration of Russian military forces near the border with Ukraine.
The EU has imposed restrictive measures on Russia, including sectoral sanctions, as a result of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Russia's destabilising actions in eastern Ukraine since 2014.
Lithuania quite often is presented by pro-Kremlin disinformation as a “Russophobic state”. See similar examples: Lithuania uses “Russian threat” to get more money from the EU; Russophobia is the basic ideology of politicians in the Baltic states; Lithuania is guilty of the bad relations with Russia.