Ukraine accession promise would help EU-Russia relations

Russia would be more constructive on Ukraine if the EU gave it a clear enlargement perspective, Lithuania’s foreign minister has said.

Drawing on his experience as Lithuania’s defence chief in the period before the Baltic country joined Nato in 2004, Linas Linkevicius said Russia’s big men used to ignore him until, in 2002, Nato said it can one day join.

“It was not said as a declaration of war. It was just a clear message,” he told EUobserver in an interview.

“Before 2002...