Lithuanian president ties Budrys’ future to China relations

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has said the future of Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys depends on whether he can normalise relations with China and secure agreements with Taiwan in the coming months, LRT reports.

“Normalising relations with China and implementing the ambitious goals agreed with Taiwan—we need to see some results on these issues. If they are satisfactory, everything will be fine, and I hope Mr. Budrys can continue in his role. If not, we will have to reconsider,” the president said.

Nausėda reiterated that he considers Budrys a capable foreign minister. “I set aside all other aspects that sometimes are the real reason why Mr. Budrys’ work faces obstacles. You understand perfectly what I mean. Here, we must first and foremost be guided by the country’s interests: whether the minister is doing his job well, whether he is implementing the government’s programme, and whether his foreign policy principles are clear,” he stated.

“On no issue have our opinions differed with Mr. Budrys, because these are the fundamental principles of Lithuania’s foreign policy,” Nausėda added.

Budrys, a non-partisan minister, previously served as the president’s senior advisor on national security before his appointment. Nausėda said he would discuss Budrys’ future, along with other ministers, next week with Mindaugas Sinkevičius, the leader of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) and a candidate for prime minister.

LRT notes that social democrats recently decided to reshuffle the ruling coalition formed last summer, removing the “Nemuno aušra” party led by Remigijus Žemaitaitis. Disagreements among coalition partners have persisted since the 2024 Seimas elections, when the first ruling majority was formed. In a year and a half, this would be the third ruling coalition and government.

The social democrats have also agreed to negotiate a joint working arrangement with the Democratic Union “For Lithuania,” led by Virginijus Sinkevičius, while retaining their current coalition partners, the “valstiečiai” led by Aurelijus Veryga.

Public discussions have emerged about Budrys’ future as foreign minister. Virginijus Sinkevičius has emphasised that this decision rests with LSDP leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius, who announced his bid for prime minister on Tuesday. However, the Democrat added that the foreign minister’s position must be coordinated with the president.

Recently, Budrys has faced criticism for insufficient efforts to restore diplomatic relations with China and for his statements about NATO’s potential to strike Kaliningrad. According to Lithuania’s top diplomat, relations with China are currently not the most important foreign policy issue.