Foreign affairs committee deputy chair asks Lithuania’s foreign minister to clarify policy direction

Žygimantas Pavilionis, deputy chair of the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee, has formally requested answers from Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys regarding Lithuania’s diplomatic course, LRT reports.

In his written inquiry, Pavilionis raised concerns over what he described as stagnation in Lithuania’s relations with the United States, noting the absence of high-level meetings or proactive steps to increase U.S. military presence in Lithuania since 2024. He also questioned the government’s push to normalise bilateral relations with China, despite Beijing’s role as a key supporter of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“Our foreign policy in recent years raises serious doubts about its direction. On the one hand, we have seen no high-level meetings with U.S. leaders or proactive efforts to secure a larger U.S. military footprint in Lithuania since 2024. On the other, we observe a hurried and opaque desire to ‘normalise’ relations with Beijing, completely ignoring the fact that China is a critical enabler of Russia’s war against Ukraine. A legitimate question arises: whose interests does Lithuania’s diplomacy currently represent?” Pavilionis stated.

The conservative lawmaker also sought clarification on Lithuania’s relations with Belarus. The questions were submitted under Article 212 of the Seimas Statute, which allows MPs to formally request written responses from government members or state institution heads.