Kęstutis Budrys, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, made a sharp statement that Ukraine must be granted full membership in the European Union by 2030. He wrote about this in his post on the social network X, which was noted by Ukrainian media, including RBC-Ukraine. The statement came against the backdrop of a new massive attack by Russia, which was recorded on the night of August 20, 2026, and affected the capital and the Kyiv region.

Reaction to Russia's night attack

The Lithuanian minister directly linked his call to the events of the past night. Throughout the night, loud explosions were heard in Kyiv and the region: Russia attacked the area with missiles and drones. Later, it became known that an accident occurred on the power grids in Brovary against the backdrop of Russian strikes, and part of Kyiv was left without electricity. In the morning on August 20, the press service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on the number of neutralized enemy targets; however, specific figures are not disclosed in available publications, so the editorial office does not provide them to avoid distorting the facts.

"The Kremlin is not thinking about ending the war"

In his address, Budrys emphasized that, in his assessment, the Kremlin is not even considering the possibility of ending the conflict. "Everything the Russians are doing right now — they continue to kill the civilian population of Ukraine," stated the Lithuanian Foreign Minister. It is against this background, according to him, that it is critically important to do everything possible to strengthen Ukraine's air defense, as well as to increase military, energy, and financial support for Kyiv.

Sanctions pressure as a tool to stop the war

Separately, the Lithuanian minister focused on the topic of sanctions. According to Budrys, strong sanctions pressure on Russia's war machine is indeed capable of stopping it. Thus, Vilnius views economic restrictions not as a formality, but as a working tool that, in combination with military aid, is capable of changing the dynamics of the conflict.

Integration course: "Ukraine's place is in the European family"

The key thesis of Budrys's statement concerns the prospects for European integration. "We must also fully integrate Ukraine into Euro-Atlantic and European structures, starting with full membership in the EU by 2030. Ukraine's place is in the European family, and its path to European and Euro-Atlantic integration must remain our strategic priority," emphasized the Lithuanian Foreign Minister. Thus, Vilnius sets a specific time horizon — 2030 — for the completion of the accession process.

Context and significance of the statement

The position of Lithuania, as one of the EU and NATO member states located in immediate proximity to the front line, is traditionally considered one of the most consistent in supporting Kyiv. Budrys's statement, made on the day of another attack, demonstrates that Vilnius intends to tie the issue of Ukraine's European prospects to the current military reality and use every escalation to advance the integration course. RBC-Ukraine also published a special photo and video report from the capital, documenting the consequences of the night strikes.