President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė criticized Russia for pressure on Eastern Partnership states and her country in her address to the UN General Assembly.

“Today we live in the 21st century, but there are still those who want to enforce a specific course of development on others, by economic pressure, energy levers or cyber tools, by distorted information, or threats,” she said without giving any names.

Speaking about Eastern European countries, she said “their choice would have been made easier if their free will had been respected and their decision supported in good faith and with encouragement by those who could provide such support. Instead, they were facing trade restrictions, bans on goods, price manipulation for energy supplies, the use of pressure and open disrespect displayed in information space.”

She mentioned barriers to travelling, unreasonable delays of cargo transportation, the milk war as examples.

“For nations, the decision is really difficult to make when free choice means receiving threats to raise gas prices or block trade, instead of getting support or advice,” she emphasized.