Lithuania To Persuade USA Not To Lift Sanctions Painful For Lukashenka

• 13.03.2025, 11:56

They concern Belarusian potash.

Lithuania will persuade the U.S. not to lift sanctions on Belarusian potash. Thus, Prime Minister of the country Gintautas Paluckas commented on rumours about a possible easing of sanctions, prepared by Washington.

‘Today, the Belarusian regime does not receive almost half a billion U.S. dollars from fertiliser exports directly to the budget due to the rising cost of logistics and the current sanctions. This is a significant amount, and if we return it to the budget, I don't think that it will be better for Lithuania or our region,' Delfi quotes the words of the Lithuanian government leader.

According to Paluckas, the lifting of sanctions will only bring new problems. It was because of the U.S. sanctions against Belaruskali that the Lithuanian railway refused to transport fertilisers to the port of Klaipeda. As a result, the transit of Belarusian potash through Lithuania has completely stopped.

‘As long as we have NATO as the main defence umbrella, I haven't heard that the U.S. has promised to withdraw from it, then it makes no sense to create additional problems for ourselves by financing those regimes that want to go to war with NATO countries,’ said the Lithuanian Prime Minister.

He also reminded that the EU is now facing difficulties in extending sanctions against Russia - they are not supported by Hungary. However, Paluckas expressed hope that it would be possible to find a solution to persuade Budapest or extend the sanctions without its participation.