Lithuania urges EU not to ease sanctions against Belarus — Cyprus Mail
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said that the European Union has no grounds to ease sanctions against Belarus. According to him, the authorities of Alexander Lukashenko continue to persecute opponents, violate human rights, and support Russian aggression against Ukraine.
This was reported by Cyprus Mail, citing Reuters. Budrys spoke in an interview on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, noting that the EU's sanctions policy differs from the US approach.
Differences between the EU and the US
US President Donald Trump previously said that Washington was working on an agreement to purchase potash fertilizers from Belarus. This sector is under EU sanctions.
A week earlier, the Trump administration reached an agreement on the release of political prisoners in Belarus in exchange for a partial easing of sanctions. According to Reuters, this was another stage in negotiations between the United States and Minsk that had continued throughout the year.
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Budrys welcomed the release of the prisoners, but said that, in his assessment, about a thousand political prisoners remain in Belarus. He added that Vilnius would continue to provide them with assistance after their release.
Statements on hybrid threats
The Lithuanian foreign minister stressed that the EU should continue to exert pressure on both the Belarusian and Russian authorities, as sanctions are effective in his view. He said that Lukashenko is trying to find ways to get rid of the restrictions, so pressure on the regime should continue.
Budrys also accused Minsk of organizing hybrid attacks against European Union countries. Among such actions, he named the use of migration flows, which, according to him, affects Lithuania, Poland, and Latvia, smuggling operations, incursions by balloons, and other actions aimed at undermining European security.
