Lifting sanctions on Russia would be detrimental to both Lithuania and the wider Western community, a senior foreign policy adviser to the president said Monday.
Asta Skaisgirytė, chief foreign policy adviser to President Gitanas Nausėda, said removing sanctions even if the war in Ukraine ended would allow Moscow to rebuild its military capabilities.
“If the war ended and sanctions on Russia were lifted, it would enable Russia to continue arming itself, to continue preparing new provocations, and perhaps to plan further aggressive actions,” Skaisgirytė told LRT. “So lifting sanctions would unequivocally be a bad thing for us and, I believe, for the entire Western community.”
She said the European Union is currently discussing its 20th package of sanctions against Russia.
“It is not that easy to adopt it, as different countries have different opinions on certain specific points. But I think it will be adopted, and of course then we should immediately start preparing the 21st package of sanctions,” she said, adding that she remained optimistic about reaching agreement.
Skaisgirytė also noted that sanctions against Belarus were extended at the end of February, which she described as a positive sign that could help pave the way for agreement on further measures against Russia.
The adviser stressed that Lithuania’s annual national security threat assessment, prepared by the State Security Department and the Second Investigation Department under the Ministry of National Defence, identifies Russia as an existential threat to the country.
“And its enabler, Belarus, also plays a very special role,” she said. “Its territory was provided for the attack on Ukraine. Hybrid attacks on Lithuania, as well as Latvia and Poland, originate from it. Plus, Russian weaponry, including very serious weaponry, is being deployed in Belarus.”
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