Ukraine’s Friend of the Week: Gitanas Nauseda, President of Lithuania
Baltic leaders never cease to please us with their strong and vocal support of Ukraine.
But Gitanas Nausėda, the president of Lithuania, was just unstoppable this week during a conference on Ukrainian reforms in Vilnius.
In his introduction speech, Nausėda said it all when it comes to Ukraine’s future with the West.
“There must be a clear understanding of the contribution Ukraine can make in the Euro-Atlantic community and of how it can move closer to the EU and NATO,” he said.
“Ukraine needs a clear plan to move forward. And the international community is waiting for assurances of continuing, consistent progress of reforms. An ambitious agenda is what motivates people.”
He also added that the international community vested interests in a democratic and successful Ukraine.
“Despite the sudden pandemic outbreak and the ongoing Russian aggression, Kyiv nonetheless indicates its readiness to conduct reforms,” Nausėda said.
Spot on, Mr. President. That is the spirit of ambition and forward-looking that everyone needs to share these days.
Especially if we look at how weak the great European powers are today — as opposed to small though tough nations like Lithuania.
Ukraine’s Foe on the Week: Francois Fillon, former Prime Minister of France
It must be a tendency that former top officials of the West with no future (especially those indicted of corruption) eventually end up employed by the Kremlin.
Former French prime minister Francois Fillon has recently followed the suit of Gerhard Schröder (former German chancellor accused of graft) and Karin Kneissl (former Austrian foreign minister known for its wedding dance with Vladimir Putin of Russia).
On July 3, it became known that Fillon was admitted as a board member with Zaroubejneft, a Kremlin-controlled oil company.
As Politico says, Fillon’s presidential bid derailed in 2017 after it was revealed that as an official he was involved in the misuse of taxpayer’s money. He was later sentenced to five years in prison, including three years of suspended term.
He’s currently appealing the sentence.
And here is where his career ends up — dealing with Russia’s blood-stained money and facing a very real jail term.
A fair perspective for Ukraine’s foe of the week.
