The EU still has unused means of influencing Russia in its arsenal – Nauseda

The European Union still has untapped means in its arsenal to put pressure on Russia to adhere to democratic norms, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says.

Nauseda said this in an interview with the Center for Eastern European Studies, the EP reports referring to Delfi.

"There are still tools in this arsenal that can be effective and that could be used. If we look to the future, I don't think we're using the entire arsenal, and we'll get back to those issues," Nauseda said.

At the same time, the Lithuanian president does not doubt that the West's current economic sanctions against Russia work.

"Yes, sanctions work. Here as well, because the Russian authorities, the Kremlin, are well aware that sanctions work, they affect Russia's economy, they have the freedom to choose: to return to normal dialogue, normal behavior or go into isolation," he said.

According to Nauseda, the EU still faces the challenge of finding a compromise between all states, as the attitude towards Russia in the Baltic States, Poland, the Czech Republic, the southern and eastern states of the EU still differs.

At the same time, Nauseda says, after reports from the Czech Republic of Russian military intelligence bombings, "everyone understands the threat we face."