Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda insists that Minsk’s proposal to allow the transit of Ukrainian grain through its territory is “a trap”, while the Foreign Ministry has ruled out lifting sanctions on Belarusian fertilisers.
Belarus told the United Nations last week that it would allow the transit of Ukrainian grain for export via Lithuanian ports without preconditions, but asked for permission to export its fertilisers, which are currently subject to sanctions.
“In my opinion, this is a trap. It is a trap to lure us in and then to show that, look, the West is again inconsistent, again unable to agree on sanctions,” Nausėda told reporters in Vilnius on Saturday, commenting on Minsk’s proposal.
The president called Minsk’s initiative “an old song we have been hearing for quite a long time”, saying that Ukraine does not trust Belarus either.
“How can it be trusted if it allows the Russians to do whatever they want on its territory?” he argued.
According to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, there have been no legal or political obstacles to Ukrainian exports of grain so far.
“They can go through Lithuania and other European Union ports on commercial terms,” the ministry told BNS in a comment. “They could transit through Belarus as well, provided that no sanctioned entities are involved, but this route has not been used by commercial entities so far.”
The Foreign Ministry ruled out discussing any lifting of sanctions on Belarus.
Allowing the Belarus to transit goods subject to international sanctions through Lithuania would violate Lithuania’s national security interests, the ministry said.
“We continue to hear unsubstantiated requests to ease sanctions. We do not see any possibility for this,” it added.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
