"The decision yesterday by the European Union to give €18 million [$21 million] to Iran is a big mistake," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday during a joint press conference with leaders of Baltic states in Vilnius, Lithuania.
"It's like a poison pill to the Iranian people and to the efforts to curb Iranian aggression in the region and terror beyond the region," Netanyahu said.
"Where will the extra money go? It's not going to go into solving the water problem in Iran," the Israeli prime minister continued. "It's not going to go to Iranian truck drivers. It's going to go to the missiles and to the Revolutionary Guards in Iran, in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East."
Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said in response that "Estonia and the EU will do everything in their power to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons."
As part of a summit at the Lithuanian National Library in the capital Vilnius, the leaders discussed issues such as strengthening Israel's relations with the Baltic states and increasing cooperation in various areas.
"Israel ascribes great importance to developing relations with another bloc of European countries," the Prime Minister's Office said.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis and Netanyahu held bilateral talks on Thursday evening before being joined by counterparts Ratas of Estonia and Maris Kucinskis of Latvia.
Netanyahu said the purpose of his visit was to achieve "balance in the European Union's not-always-friendly attitude toward the state of Israel, so that we will receive fairer and truer treatment."
The prime minister praised Skvernelis for the "strong position you've taken in forums of the EU on behalf of truth, on behalf of Israel, on behalf of decency."
"Israel is often mistreated by the EU in Brussels, there are many distortions that are leveled at us, and it is refreshing to see that you take a stand of clarity, of truth and of courage, and we discussed how that can be expanded," he added.
The prime minister also welcomed the decision by major international airlines to end their direct flights to Iran's capital of Tehran in September.
The decision by British Airways and Air France came after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal between world powers and Iran and began restoring U.S. sanctions. The move has exacerbated a financial crisis in Iran that has sent its currency tumbling.
"That's good," Netanyahu remarked. "More should follow, more will follow, because Iran should not be rewarded for its aggression in the region, for its attempts to spread terrorism."
Meanwhile, Tehran resumed talks with Russia regarding plans to build a nuclear power plant capable of generating up to 3,000 megawatts of electricity, Iran's Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian said Saturday, according to the Tasnim news agency.
Iran currently has the capacity to produce 1,000 megawatts of nuclear electricity, Tasnim reported.
Iran already operates one Russian-built nuclear reactor in Bushehr – its first. Russia signed a deal with Iran in 2014 to build up to eight more reactors in the country.
