EU sanctions against Belarus remain in effect despite the U.S. decision – Nauseda

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stated that the United States’ lifting of restrictions on Belarusian banks and potash fertilizer producers will not affect the European Union’s sanctions policy. 

His remarks were quoted by LRT.

In a comment on March 19, 2026, he emphasized that Brussels maintains a clear position regarding Minsk’s responsibility for complicity in Russia’s war against Ukraine. According to the Lithuanian leader, the EU recently extended sanctions against Belarus for another year, and there is currently no political will to review them.

Nausėda stressed that while the U.S. may pursue its own foreign policy line, for Europe, Belarus remains a key ally of Russia, bearing direct responsibility for the ongoing aggression. He noted that European restrictions are based on the principle of consistency and proportionality regarding the Lukashenko regime’s actions. The head of state is confident that over the next 12 months, the EU sanctions regime will remain unchanged, despite the visit of Donald Trump’s special envoy to Minsk.

Nausėda’s statement came amid an announcement by U.S. diplomat John Cole regarding the lifting of sanctions against “Belaruskali” and a number of state-owned banks in exchange for the release of political prisoners. Lithuania, as one of the most active advocates of pressure on the regime in Minsk, continues to insist on maintaining economic leverage. Official Vilnius believes that any easing of sanctions could be exploited by Russia to circumvent international restrictions via Belarusian territory.

As a reminder, the U.S. has lifted sanctions against Belinvestbank, the Development Bank of Belarus, and the Belarusian Ministry of Finance. The Belarusian Potash Company and Belaruskali have also been removed from all sanctions lists.

At the same time, another group of political prisoners was released from prisons in Belarus, including a journalist, a human rights activist, and a blogger.